March 14, 2002
Weight and Weight Loss
Question from Oak Lawn, Illinois, USA:
My daughter (who is on the chubby side) was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes about seven months ago, and for about five months did not gain any weight, though her height increased slightly. However, after her honeymoon phase ended and her sugars crept up, the doctor increased her insulin slightly a few times, which finally brought her sugars into a normal range, and she started gaining weight immediately (six pounds in a month!). Is this normal? Will the weight gain continue like this?
Answer:
Weight gain usually means excess calories or inadequate activity. You should talk to your diabetes team and map out a strategy that makes sense for your daughter to achieve ideal body weight for height, if possible. They can also rule out other treatable causes of excess weight gain (i.e., hypothyroidism) and also be sure that there are not excessive calories in her meal plan or excessive insulin.
SB
