Obesity Plus Hypertension can Equal Diabetes

By Jeany Miller

According to the International Obesity Task Force, more than 1.1 billion adults worldwide are presently overweight. Of that number, 312 million are obese. Moreover, at least 155 million children worldwide are overweight or obese. These numbers have tripled in the last 20 years, and doctors attribute such statistics primarily to a decrease in physical activity and an increase in fatty food intake. In developing countries, this is largely known as the adoption of a Western lifestyle. Just as obesity has witnessed an upsurge, so too has type 2 diabetes. Approximately 197 million people globally suffer from compromised glucose intolerance. Doctors indicate that approximately 90 percent of all type 2 diabetes cases are attributable to the combination of excess weight and hypertension (high blood pressure).

The Links Between Hypertension and Diabetes

Doctors have established two essential links between hypertension and diabetes. The first is relevant only to statistics. Research indicates that patients with hypertension suffer from diabetes more often than persons with normal blood pressure. Similarly, patients with diabetes tend to have high blood pressure. Thus, doctors have established a population-based increase between hypertension and diabetes. A metabolic link is also evident between high blood pressure and diabetes, known simply as metabolic syndrome. This is characterized by risk factors that include abdominal obesity, elevated blood pressure and insulin resistance or glucose intolerance. Studies have determined that persons with metabolic syndrome have an increased risk for type 2 diabetes. At present, it is estimated more than 50 million Americans suffer from this condition. Hypertension and diabetes further share a number of risk factors. These put people at greater risk for one condition and thereby easily give way to the second. The most commonly shared lifestyle risks are as follows:

Diets high in fat, processed sugars and salt content
Long periods of physical inactivity
Excessive alcohol consumption

Each of the above factors causes stress to the cardiovascular system and inhibits enzyme production. Poor diet and exercise also lead to the inefficacy of insulin and cause arteries to stiffen. All research indicates that obesity is the number one determinant of hypertension and diabetes. Of particular note is excess abdominal weight. Professionals with the International Diabetes Foundation succinctly state, Diabetes and obesity are the biggest public health challenges of the 21^st century.

Understanding Obesity

Obesity is attributed to two key factors: poor diet and a sedentary lifestyle. These are also the same risks that can lead to hypertension and diabetes. In fact, the three diseases are so closely linked that most health professionals believe the relationship between obesity and hypertension is insulin resistance. Said resistance also paves the way for diabetes. Thus, a vicious health cycle is known to proceed from the point at which obesity begins. Some alarming statistics regarding obesity are as follows:

Of those persons diagnosed with type 2 diabetes in 2009, between 80 and 90 percent were also medically obese.
Overweight individuals are five times more likely to develop hypertension than persons of normal weight.
Incidence of cardiovascular disease is substantially greater among obese people.

Doctors have proven, with the aid of multiple studies, that excess weight reduces the body's ability to maintain proper blood glucose levels. Increased insulin levels are continually required to push sugar into cells. That insulin can eventually cause damage to the kidneys, which are part of the body's overall system designed to regulate blood pressure. High blood pressure and high blood sugar levels both can ensue, leading to hypertension and diabetes. In short, these three diseases are irrevocably linked. Where one is present, the other is likely to follow. To mitigate both long and short-term risks of obesity, hypertension and diabetes, the American Health Association recommends lifestyle modifications that include: