Why Is Obesity Linked to Diabetes?
Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a long-term condition that alters carbohydrate, protein, and lipid metabolism. It is caused by a lack of insulin production as a result of either a dynamic or stamped inability of the pancreatic-Langerhans islet cells to make insulin, or by abnormalities in insulin uptake within peripheral tissue. Diabetes is divided into two types: type 1 and type 2 diabetes. Obesity is thought to be responsible for 80–85% of the risk of getting type 2 diabetes. Overeating, in particular, causes endoplasmic reticulum pressure to rise (ER). When the ER is overburdened with more nutrients than it can manage, it sends an alert signal to the cell, instructing it to reduce the insulin receptors on the cell surface. This results in insulin resistance and chronically high glucose concentrations in the blood, which is unmistakably a sign of diabetes. Three specific mechanisms have been postulated to relate obesity to insulin resistance and an increased risk of type 2 diabetes: 1...