5 ways weight loss can help control type 2 diabetes

Maintaining a healthy weight is the first step towards healthy living. But did you know, losing weight can also help you manage type 2 diabetes? According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, losing weight can bolster your blood sugar control and lower your risk of high blood pressure and plaque buildup in the arteries. Losing 5 to 10 per cent of weight has been shown to reduce the amount of diabetes medication.

Weight loss should be on the priority list of people suffering from type 2 diabetes, in order to control the condition. Here is exactly how losing weight can help improve diabetes.

In type 2 diabetes, your body does not respond to the insulin produced by the pancreas and thus your blood glucose levels go up. This is called insulin resistance and is often linked to excess weight.

Losing weight can make your body more sensitive to insulin and decrease insulin resistance. As the insulin resistance goes down, that's good for diabetes management.

As insulin sensitivity improves with weight loss, you see better results in your A1C reports. As per the American Diabetes Association, the A1C tests is the average blood sugar levels from the past two to three months.

That is why it is said that lifestyle changes through diet and exercise are the best ways to treat type 2 diabetes.

Heart issues and diabetes are linked and high blood pressure and cholesterol are common among people suffering from type 2 diabetes, as per CDC. High blood pressure can end up damaging artery walls and having too much LDL and triglyceride can damage the artery walls too.

Obesity is a risk factor for high cholesterol and high blood pressure but losing weight can lower your risk. In a study of 401 people, people who were overweight and lost 5 to 10 per cent of their body weight, their total cholesterol, triglyceride and LDL cholesterol levels were also decreased significantly.

When people lose weight and follow a healthy diet routine, their energy levels go up and their mood improves. As per the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, losing weight improves self-confidence and mental health. This is because people feel better about themselves and their body after losing weight. This motivates and encourages them more to control their diabetes.

Diabetes increases your chances of suffering from sleep apnea. Sleep apnea is a disorder that presents abnormal breathing during sleep. Around 71 per cent of people suffering from diabetes have obstructive sleep apnea.

Studies have found that weight loss can improve sleep apnea and promote good sleep. And sleeping well can help you control diabetes better as not sleeping enough leads to increased insulin resistance.