A New Trend in Covering Diabetes Risk?
Jul. 28th, 2011 08:23 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
walkitoutThere's been a really tight focus on BMI, fat and overall weight as risk factors for Type II Diabetes. Even a cursory look at how metabolism works and at longitudinal studies demonstrates that BMI, fat, and overall weight are not all of the story, but, rather that activity levels matter a lot, and that strength training in particular has a huge impact on quality of life and independence.
http://yourlife.usatoday.com/health/medical/diabetes/story/2011/07/Increasing-muscle-mass-may-lower-risk-of-developing-diabetes/
The author is being really cautious:
""Our findings suggest that beyond focusing on losing weight to improve metabolic health, there may be a role for maintaining fitness and building muscle mass," says Preethi Srikanthan, an assistant professor of medicine in the division of endocrinology at UCLA's David Geffen School of Medicine."
Apparently, they found "for each 10% increase in the skeletal muscle index — the ratio of muscle mass to total body weight — there was a corresponding 11% reduction in insulin resistance and a 12% decrease in pre-diabetes."
It would be _really nice_ if we could stop thinking about exercise and fitness as a way to lose weight, but as a way to become healthier. Then, if weight loss happens, hey, yay. But if weight loss does not happen, but all kinds of other numbers improve (bp down, LDL down, CRP down, etc.), we can still feel like the exercise was Worth It.
http://yourlife.usatoday.com/health/medical/diabetes/story/2011/07/Increasing-muscle-mass-may-lower-risk-of-developing-diabetes/
The author is being really cautious:
""Our findings suggest that beyond focusing on losing weight to improve metabolic health, there may be a role for maintaining fitness and building muscle mass," says Preethi Srikanthan, an assistant professor of medicine in the division of endocrinology at UCLA's David Geffen School of Medicine."
Apparently, they found "for each 10% increase in the skeletal muscle index — the ratio of muscle mass to total body weight — there was a corresponding 11% reduction in insulin resistance and a 12% decrease in pre-diabetes."
It would be _really nice_ if we could stop thinking about exercise and fitness as a way to lose weight, but as a way to become healthier. Then, if weight loss happens, hey, yay. But if weight loss does not happen, but all kinds of other numbers improve (bp down, LDL down, CRP down, etc.), we can still feel like the exercise was Worth It.