DIABETES is in essence a chronic caloric excess problem

bic_cherry SG

DIABETES is in essence a chronic caloric excess problem; marked by high glucose levels, insulin resistance caused by high visceral fat (fully saturated adipose cells) due to relatively insufficient activity (exercise) resulting in excessive caloric accumulation (visceral fat etc).

(Just like traffic jams are harmful to Singapore).

Both fat cells and muscle cells are instructed by hormone insulin to absorb glucose from blood. However, fat cells and undeveloped (atrophied+ fat saturated) muscle tissues have limited glucose absorption capability either due to fat saturation or else poor function (muscle volume lack due to lack of regular aerobic and weight bearing exercise) respectively.

Marathon runners consume pure glucose during competitions as an instant energy source but all Olympic standard Marathon runners have minimal visceral fat (and ostensibly no insulin resistance) due to their high metabolism lifestyle in running long distance in training everyday.

Due to the ready availability of high caloric food in Singapore and the encouragement to eat more ("cashless" payment options), Singaporeans need to exercise more to build more muscle volume and function to increase their calorie burning capacity vz increasing both their resting as well as maximum metabolic rate, as well as reduction of visceral fat so that glucose produced from food can be absorbed by muscles and unsaturated adipose (fat) cells.

Singapore has done well to make our roads free from traffic jams by limiting the car population with limited COEs, scrapping cars with expired COEs so that roads are optimally used. Calories too can be controlled vz effective supply and demand adjustments: more non-digestible vegetable matter, complex foods: unprocessed natural fat and protein can lengthen the duration of digestion (satiety) and thus reduce between meal hunger pangs whilst increased exercise and measurable volumetric increase in muscle mass can increase baseline metabolic rate to allow unsaturated adipose cells to do their rightful job in responding to insulin and absorb glucose from blood.

A high glucose level due to supply + demand imbalances is like a road jam-packed with cars causing road damage (excessive start-stop vehicle motions) and environmental damage due to air pollution due to excessive vehicle volume and travel duration).

Diabetes is a disease of chronic caloric excess and sedentary life resulting in fully saturated adipose Cells and atrophied fat saturated muscle tissue: insensate to insulin due to physical limits in caloric storage being exceeded/ reached resulting in insulin resistance and consequent blood glucose excess which is self-destructive and in the long run, the cause of many diabetes related complications like blindness, cancer, kidney failure, impotence, heart failure, amputations, frequent infections and stroke (/dementia).

bic_cherry SG

zhihau (SBY) wroteIt's not as simple as input vs output kind of thing. Here's an analogy.

You pump petrol in a car and it drives the car engine, the car moves. Just as it's like our bodies, the food we eat fuels our activities. The car is made up of many small parts which are subjected to wear and tear and may break down. Our bodies are made up of many cells, each cell having many chemical pathways and influence surrounding cells by biochemical signaling. The downstream cascade may go haywire.

The choice of petrol can be high octane or low octane, the car can still break down for some funny reasons, just as how we get diabetes despite our high calorie or low calorie diets. It's more of understanding the process of pancreas producing and secreting insulin and glucagon and how these processes help moderate blood glucose levels.

Genetic disposition, stress levels, diseases can all have a hand in causing diabetes. Pinning the blame squarely on the diet is not correct and very irresponsible.

Of course it is primarily a CALORIC input and output issue. Every fat(adipose) and muscle cell has a finite limit where caloric content is concerned and any further increase would mandate creation of more fat cells since muscle mass is unlikely to increase without strength training or aerobic exercise .

Thus the resistance to insulin due to already energy saturated cells.

With insufficient demand for energy expenditure due to sedentary lifestyles, the pancreas has no choice but to go into overdrive to lower blood glucose levels because high blood glucose is TOXIC to cells (inflammation of blood vessels is what causes heart attacks (atherosclerosis), blindness, kidney failure, amputation etc). High insulin levels can also promote cancer because insulin and human growth hormone have similar origins/function.

Finally, the system breaks down, firstly due to high blood glucose causing damage to the pancreas itself amongst others, secondarily due to overworked pancreas, fatigued to the point of failure due to the insulin production overdrive.

Thus, diabetes is indeed a disease caused by caloric consumption being in excess of caloric expenditure resulting in all the excess energy accumulation in the body causing damage everywhere inside (just like how u damage a lithium battery when u charge it to ABOVE capacity).

For those economically inclined, diabetes is simply a failure of caloric economics with the excess calories causing havoc being too much to properly be absorbed by cells already at their maximum caloric storage limit.

Garystevens004 SG

I learned a lot from this topic. Great info. So we must be health cautios. Educate others about this kind of ailment.

FranC76 SG

Just my 2 cents' worth.. you should differentiate the different types of diabetes:

Type 1 Diabetics: insulin deficiency from the pancreas cells, resulting in cells not being able to absorb the glucose in the blood stream, leading to higher than normal levels of blood sugar aka 'diabetes'. In Type 1 DM, calorie intake does not affect blood sugar levels because the body cannot produce enough insulin for cells to take in the glucose. Type 1 DM is sometimes also known as child-onset diabetes (because it usually occurs in children, and requires a lifetime injection of insulin to control blood sugar levels).

Type 2 Diabetes: cell signaling regulation problem. In Type 2 diabetes, usually what happens in that the muscle and liver cells, become "resistant", or faulty to insulin, resulting in high blood glucose levels. In Type 2 DM, yes it is partly true that excess caloric intake is a contributing factor to the onset of diabetes. Type 2 diabetes is the most common type of blood sugar disorder in the world.

Actually, there are other sub-sets of diabetes. For instance, Gestational diabetes (GDM), adult onset diabetes etc with different causes. Therefore, not all diabetes are due to excess caloric intake (though over eating does contribute to the risks of getting diabetes )

Ronin63 SG

Face it, it seems like its seems too far a task for the average person to deny gluttony. Even if we're low on cash, we just plain don''t want to show moderation, its our nature to eat what we want, when we want, and how much we want. Our behavior will never change.

PokemonGoGoGo SG

Ty for info appreciate it