Whether we like to admit it or not, there is a definite link between obesity and many life-threatening diseases. Increasing weight over time – especially when our body fat percentages are on the rise, and not our muscle mass – can lead to health disasters that are almost entirely preventable. One such disease is Type 2 Diabetes. Although the first type of diabetes is genetic in nature and not related to obesity, the second type is brought on by behavior and bodily health. The health costs incurred through this disease can be dramatically expensive, especially if you are underinsured when diagnosed. By taking steps today to lower your weight, to eat healthier, and to get moderate exercise – never mind make sure that you have the proper insurance to obtain critical preventative medical care – you will be working towards prevention of diabetes and all of its painful symptoms – even if you are genetically predisposed to these issues.

Family Histories: Medical Ancestry and Its Effect on Your Future

Whether you have a large family or a small one, it is important to know about the medical diseases and conditions that have been a part of your blood relatives’ lives in order to know more about your own risks. Part of the reason that collecting a family history is so important within the medical community is the primacy of genetics: studies conclusively have shown that time and time again, most diseases are the result of genetic predispositions to developing symptoms. Diabetes – whether Type 1 or Type 2 – has been shown to be a disease greatly affected by genetics. Another important part of the family history is also the social and cultural aspects of your medical background: even if the underlying causes of disease are not genetic, many of the habits and behaviors formed from an early age by children are through mimicry of family behaviors. Those with obese parents who become overweight or obese later have not only carried the appropriate genetic predispositions, but have also learned the behaviors of overeating and lack of exercise from those who helped raise them.

The processes behind the physical symptoms are incredibly complex, but documenting all of this information in a concise family history will help you and your doctors make appropriate decisions about your health, and will help you formulate your risk factors and work preventatively together in terms of fighting diabetes. The first steps you might want to take are to document what you can remember about your family tree, and then begin asking your siblings, parents, and cousins about any medical diseases that might be within your genetic pool. Although everyone is entitled to his or her own medical privacy, you may discover that your relatives will be forthcoming about medical issues knowing that the construction of this family tree can lead to better preventative health care for the entire family.

Body Mass Index: Controversial Approaches for Determining Your Diabetes Risk

The Body Mass Index (BMI) scale is a great first approach to understanding your current status as underweight, overweight, or obese in comparison to the idealized weight for your height. Through a simple mathematical ratio that is available for free on online calculators found across the internet, a person’s weight and height are understood in a particular proportion that categorizes the risk factors that might be faced based upon that number alone. Many nutritionists and other health experts use this number as a guide in terms of providing medical advice to their clients. However, there is a lot of controversy behind this calculation, and the terminology of under? or over? a particular ideal weight, not to mention how someone may be categorized as obese.? For example, someone who has a low percentage of body fat, but a lot of muscle, may appear as overweight or even obese on the BMI scale, while someone extremely unhealthy in their habits might appear as healthy? on the BMI scale because of this ratio. For this reason, the BMI index should be taken with a grain of salt when assessing risks for diseases such as diabetes.

That being said, when a large BMI number arises (usually 25 or above signifying obesity), the chances of an individual developing Type 2 Diabetes rise astronomically. For this reason, using BMI as an informal tool to guide weight loss goals is an easy technique that many individuals seeking to avoid diabetes employ. Whatever your numbers are, cutting down on sugars and fatty foods – especially those junk foods with low to no nutritional content otherwise – is a great first step to lowering your BMI numbers and diminishing your risk for developing diabetes.

Things to Ask at Your Next Health Visit About Diabetes Prevention

When you visit with your doctor next, ask if there are any important tests that you can do, based upon your medical history, to address these issues of diabetes prevention. Talk with your doctor about your BMI ratio, and ask him or her about a weight loss plan that might be appropriate for your body type and physical needs, with the idea of diabetes prevention in mind. At that visit, he or she might ask you for more information about your fatigue levels, your eating habits, and your exercise plan, recommending healthy lifestyle choices for you to continue in your diabetes prevention efforts. Furthermore, you should speak to your doctor about the costs of coverage based upon your current medical insurance plan. Purchasing private health insurance can be costly for those who are suffering from those particular health conditions, so talking about this during the prevention stage is critical. He or she might be able to recommend some private health insurance plans that are ideal for diabetes patients or those who are considered pre-diabetic? within the medical community, so that you can lower those high costs of care and be sure to get attention from the specialists that are experts in diabetes prevention at rates that fit your family’s budget.

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This is a guest article by freelance writer and blogger Claire Wilson from the UK. Claire usually covers health, lifestyle and proper nutrition.