May 19, 2007
Diagnosis and Symptoms, Type 2
Question from St. Louis, Missouri, USA:
I’m 20 years old and have been overweight all my life. Just last year, I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. When I was diagnosed, I was told that I could never get rid of my diabetes. When I moved back to St. Louis, my endocrinologist’s nurse mentioned that if I lost weight and got down to my ideal body weight of 130 pounds, I would be diabetes-free. Is this right? My mom thinks she is right, but my dad says it’s not true because I “got diabetes from him.” By the way, my dad has had type 1 since he was five and has always been normal weight for his height. All four of his kids have diabetes, but I’m the only one who is overweight and the only one with type 2. Can I escape diabetes by loosing weight or am I doomed by heredity?
Answer:
For medical records purposes, once you are diagnosed with diabetes, you cannot have the diagnosis rescinded. That means you have diabetes for the rest of your life. Being diabetes-free may be a nice way to think about the results of weight loss, which is just not having to be on medications. However, the natural history does not suggest that is the easiest thing to do. All people with diabetes should aim to live a healthy life and chronically control their blood sugar. Type 1 and type 2 diabetes are really different diseases because the way you come to have high blood sugars can be really quite different. I hope you can normalize your blood sugars and maintain the best health. It will require a commitment and some support. However, it is certainly worth it.
JTL
