Diabesity is a growing disease derived from the sum of diabetes and obesity, also associated with other diseases such as high blood pressure, obstructive sleep apnea, high levels of cholesterol and triglycerides, fatty liver and certain types of cancer.
The chronic diseases constitute one of the main health problems in the world. Two of the most prominent are diabetes and the obesityhighly interrelated pathologies that have led to a global epidemic already known as diabesity.
Furthermore, this disease is also associated with other as the high blood pressure, obstructive sleep apnea, high cholesterol and triglyceride levels, fatty liver, and certain types of cancergenerating an increase in cardiovascular risk.
How do you explain the Dr. Iria Rodriguezspecialist in Endocrinology and Nutrition at the Hospital HM Modelmost people with diabetes mellitus type 2 They also have overweight or obesity, the main risk factor for a patient to end up developing type 2 diabetes.
Faced with this reality and as preventive measures, Dr. Rodríguez advocates maintain a proper weight and practice a healthy lifestylewhere exercise plays a major role, including strength exercises, and a healthy diet is taken.
Regarding this recommendation, several scientific studies have shown that cardiovascular risk factors are better controlled with plant-based dietssuch as the Mediterranean diet, the vegetarian diet, the DASH diet and the low-carbohydrate diet.
Positive effects are also found with the intermittent fasting and the ketogenic diet in patients with diabesity. “Specifically, our Mediterranean diet, which generates a great benefit on type 2 diabetes, obesity, metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular disease, is the easiest to follow and maintain in the long term”adds Dr. Rodríguez.
Prevention as the best remedy
The significant loss of weight and body fatalways supervised by a doctor is a fundamental part of the diabesity treatment. “We can lose weight mainly with changes in our lifestyle, but when they are not enough, we have the possibility of associating them with drugs of proven efficacy that not only help to lose weight and control glucose levels, but also produce benefits at the cardiovascular level, such as GLP1 analogs or SGLT2 inhibitors”explains the specialist in Endocrinology and Nutrition at the Hospital HM Model.
Besides, the bariatric and metabolic surgery in certain patients it achieves a great reduction in weight, improvement of type 2 diabetes (with a remission of the disease in up to 80% of cases) and improvement of other cardiovascular risk factors, such as hypertension, high cholesterol levels and triglycerides, the Obstructive sleep apneahepatic steatosis, etc.
The Mediterranean diet, the best ally
The benefits of Mediterranean diet are highly proven. Also in the prevention of diabesity. It is advisable try to avoid ultra-processed foods and those foods with trans and saturated fats, sugars, excess salt, as well as commercial juices and drinks with sugar (such as juices and soft drinks).
It is recommended consume 5 portions of fruit and varied vegetables a day. Meat (maximum 3-4 times a week) must be leansuch as poultry or rabbit, avoiding the consumption of processed meats, sausages and red and fatty meats. In addition, it is ideal fish consumption at least 3 times a week (at least 1-2 times/week oily fish) and take 2 daily servings of unsweetened dairy products and whole, unrefined cereals.
They are also legumes recommended against diabesity (2-4 times a week) and consume potatoes and other tubers, preferably cooked or roasted, avoiding French fries. On the other hand, the use of extra virgin olive oilboth for dressing raw and for cooking, as well as taking a handful of dried fruit raw 3-7 times a week, because they reduce cardiovascular risk.
