You’ve Got Diabetes, Better Lose Weight…

From Gerry Pugliese for Connie's SUGAR SHOCK! Blog

Losing weight is pretty much always a good idea—okay, maybe not if you’re starving, but definitely if you’ve got diabetes. And now a new study in Diabetes Care claims that slimming down after you’ve been diagnosed with diabetes pays big dividends.

"If you lose weight after diagnosis, you can achieve some long-term benefits in terms of blood pressure and glycemic control that extend even beyond the point at which you regain weight," Gregory A. Nichols, PhD., an investigator with the Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research in Portland, Oregon, told Amanda Gardner of HealthDay News.

The study followed 2,574 patients—ages 21 through 75—who had been recently diagnosed with type-2 diabetes over four years. About 12% of the people studied were in the "weight loss" group and peeled off an average of 25 pounds.

Even though most participants regained the weight, they were still able achieve favorable blood pressure and blood sugar levels by the fourth year. This lead Dr. Nichols to reach this conclusion: "Losing weight is a good idea, even if you regain it."

Not sure I’d agree with that. I think losing weight and keeping it off is a much better -- and healthier -- idea, but this encouraging nonetheless.