The study conducted by Loyola University Health System has found that 62.4 per
cent of U.S. adults with Type 2 diabetes are obese, while 20.7 per cent are
morbidly obese.
Among African American adults with Type 2 diabetes, one in three is morbidly
obese, the study showed.
Dr. Holly Kramer, associate professor in the Department of Medicine, Division of
Nephrology at Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine, who headed
the study, said: "The rate of morbid obesity among people with diabetes is
increasing at a very alarming rate, and this has substantial public health
implications."
The researchers studied the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys,
completed during the years 1976 to 2006, to reach the conclusion.
Morbid obesity is defined as having a body mass index (BMI) greater than 40. BMI
is a measure of body fat based on height and weight. For example, a
5-foot-2-inch adult with a 40 BMI weighs 218 pounds (82 pounds overweight),
while a 6-foot-2-inch adult with a 40 BMI weighs 311 pounds (117 pounds
overweight).
Kramer insisted that focusing solely on overall obesity rates "hinders the
complete comprehension of this massive public health problem," as the greatest
growth in obesity has been among diabetics who are morbidly obese.
Kramer further suggested that consumption of inexpensive food and sugary soda
were the reasons behind the situation.
Experts recommended stomach-stapling gastric bypass surgery as the last resort
for morbidly obese diabetics.
The study was published online in the Journal of Diabetes and its
Complications.
