Over 40% of US Adults have Insulin Resistance

lindsey1979

Does insulin resistance cause obesity or does obesity result in insulin resistance?

There seems to be a relationship between the two. For some, insulin resistance contributes or causes the weight gain. For others, it is the result of the weight gain or something they develop after gaining weight. There doesn't seem to be a clear answer yet.

Relationship =/= Causation

I'd like to see a peer reviewed article supported by studies, plural (& not some youtube video) that proves your point.

How would they even do that? Force people to gain weight and then see who developed insulin resistance and who didn't? Who cares. They don't really know yet.

A_Dabauer

Low carb get's a bad wrap. I don't do a traditional low carb diet but I do pay very close attention to what sugars I'm eating when and how to insure that I don't spike my blood sugar. If you have PCOS, Insulin Resistance or other metabolic disorders there is no way you can loose weight if you have a consistent influx of insulin floating around.

What I find disturbing is the medical community seems ill equipped to educate patients on any thing weight related. They see oh you're gaining weight you must have a poor diet.

I have PCOS and have since a teen. I thought I had my diet stabilized and then three years weight started to creep back on. I ate better, and more weight came back...and back and back until I've 50lbs to loose. I went to the Dr. he ran blood work. My results came back and he denied I had PCOS (because he didn't know how to read the blood work) only thing that came back was a Vitamin D deficiency. He didn't say oh well this could be a factor or a cause. Just referred me to get some nutritional counselling, and exercise more.

As soon as I added the Vitamin D into my diet I started loosing weight again. Did some research myself and find out that almost all my symptoms were exasperated by the Vitamin D deficiency. Never once have I gotten helpful useful information from a Doctor and if it wasn't for my need to understand what I'm taking and what's going on in my body I'd be clueless and in the dark, fat and helpless to do anything about it.

Lindsey the OP is right to increase awareness on such issues that the medical community might not be where it needs to be regarding weight loss and weight loss methods. Yes we need to see a Doctor but we also need to question what they are telling us as well.

Sabine_Stroehm

Everyone has insulin resistance. It's a natural part of the human body's workings. The exact point at which it becomes a problem is open to interpretation so it's the kind of thing alarmist quacks really like to throw statistics at. I wouldn't mind betting that the criteria for having insulin resistance in any associated studies are rather low. And regardless. Scrutinizing the minutiae of your body is the primary occupation of excuse makers and people with eating disorders. As a comfort eater I am very sympathetic to those who build unhealthy habits around food. It is something i suffer from myself. But I didn't beat it by nit picking bodily details until some magical fairy of negacarbia came down from diet heaven and twinkled all my hunger away. I did it by slowly and with the support of my family and friends cultivating healthy exercise habits. And new stress outlets to avoid the need to binge on food to relieve anxiety or depression. That and a good deal of willpower. Without which no amount of help or nit picking will suffice.

Your mind is the far greatest obstacle between you and health in the face of this all this "insulin resistance" rubbish is utterly trite.

As someone who has insulin resistance due to PCOS, also no thyroid (due to cancer) and a heart condition I can honestly say it isn't about making excuses for all of us. It also isn't just about calories in calories out. For some of us it is more about figuring out what combination of macros works best for us which is usually low carb/sugar.

So please don't assume you know all of us and that we all are making excuses unless you have walked in our shoes.

Good luck. Hope you can find your own "sweet spot" for weight loss.

SamLD88

I haven't read the rest of the thread, only the first page, but if you make it this far and you're concerned about diabetes, you can test your A1C without a doctor. Labs will do it for ~$50.

angelamb1970

Thank you for posting, very helpful!!

psuLemon

The estimates presented for undiagnosed populations were based on an NHANES survey and considered the results of fasting glucose or A1C tests - one result of one test. Anyone who has ever been pregnant and taken the gestational diabetes test knows that if you show up as positive on the first test, they bring you back in for a longer test before diagnosing you as having gestational diabetes.

Claiming that those population estimates are accurate based on one set of test results is flawed, not to mention that there are limitations to the tests themselves and factors that can impact the results. Those factors, particularly lifestyle factors, would not be accounted for in a survey, as most patients would not know to report those factors as possibly skewing their test results.

I just wanted to bump this post. A lot of the numbers in the OP are estimates. And just because you have prediabetes, doesn't mean you are full blow insulin resistant. I would also like point out, of that 30-35% estimated to have prediabets, about only 15% to 30% actually develop diabetes II.

http://www.diabetes.org/diabetes-basics/statistics/cdc-infographic.html

There are a handful of people who have insulin resistance and it's real, but it's not 40% of our population has full blown insulin resistance. Those that are prediabetic can get their A1C back to normal with just weight loss, many of which don't even have to be concerned about carbs.

OP, i am sorry it took so long for you to discover your health issues, but your situation does not apply to the majority of the population. I understand your frustration, over the past 4 years, my wife has been in and out of 7+ different hospitals and dealt with a ton of specialist to include: Cardiologist, Endocrinologist, Gastroenterologist, OBGYN's and Electrophysiologist for her medical conditions. She is borderline PCOS and Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome, so she has to be gluten free and low carb. Having said that, I do believe the majority of people can benefit from lowering their carbs, but that is merely for the fact that most people get too little protein in their diet.

Sabine_Stroehm

The estimates presented for undiagnosed populations were based on an NHANES survey and considered the results of fasting glucose or A1C tests - one result of one test. Anyone who has ever been pregnant and taken the gestational diabetes test knows that if you show up as positive on the first test, they bring you back in for a longer test before diagnosing you as having gestational diabetes.

Claiming that those population estimates are accurate based on one set of test results is flawed, not to mention that there are limitations to the tests themselves and factors that can impact the results. Those factors, particularly lifestyle factors, would not be accounted for in a survey, as most patients would not know to report those factors as possibly skewing their test results.

I just wanted to bump this post. A lot of the numbers in the OP are estimates. And just because you have prediabetes, doesn't mean you are full blow insulin resistant. I would also like point out, of that 30-35% estimated to have prediabets, about only 15% to 30% actually develop diabetes II.

http://www.diabetes.org/diabetes-basics/statistics/cdc-infographic.html

There are a handful of people who have insulin resistance and it's real, but it's not 40% of our population has full blown insulin resistance. Those that are prediabetic can get their A1C back to normal with just weight loss, many of which don't even have to be concerned about carbs.

OP, i am sorry it took so long for you to discover your health issues, but your situation does not apply to the majority of the population. I understand your frustration, over the past 4 years, my wife has been in and out of 7+ different hospitals and dealt with a ton of specialist to include: Cardiologist, Endocrinologist, Gastroenterologist, OBGYN's and Electrophysiologist for her medical conditions. She is borderline PCOS and Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome, so she has to be gluten free and low carb. Having said that, I do believe the majority of people can benefit from lowering their carbs, but that is merely for the fact that most people get too little protein in their diet.

It's likely not "a handful of people" either.

itsbasschick

type 2 diabetes here. no problem losing weight, didn't go low carb (i did control my carbs, but eat 120 to 160 grams carbs per day) and not on medication. blood glucose started at 300, now down to less than half. just saying...

Sabine_Stroehm

type 2 diabetes here. no problem losing weight, didn't go low carb (i did control my carbs, but eat 120 to 160 grams carbs per day) and not on medication. blood glucose started at 300, now down to less than half. just saying...

Glad you found what worked for you and are on the road to health!

aarnwine2013

Does insulin resistance cause obesity or does obesity result in insulin resistance?

There seems to be a relationship between the two. For some, insulin resistance contributes or causes the weight gain. For others, it is the result of the weight gain or something they develop after gaining weight. There doesn't seem to be a clear answer yet.

Relationship =/= Causation

I'd like to see a peer reviewed article supported by studies, plural (& not some youtube video) that proves your point.

My Dr told me I had insulin resistance and suggested I go low carb. He seemed to think it was the weight gain that caused it. Since the weight loss, I think it's much easier now and I've added more carbs to my diet with no ill effects. So, I think he was right.

I'm just one person, but thought I'd add my experience.

lindsey1979

The estimates presented for undiagnosed populations were based on an NHANES survey and considered the results of fasting glucose or A1C tests - one result of one test. Anyone who has ever been pregnant and taken the gestational diabetes test knows that if you show up as positive on the first test, they bring you back in for a longer test before diagnosing you as having gestational diabetes.

Claiming that those population estimates are accurate based on one set of test results is flawed, not to mention that there are limitations to the tests themselves and factors that can impact the results. Those factors, particularly lifestyle factors, would not be accounted for in a survey, as most patients would not know to report those factors as possibly skewing their test results.

I just wanted to bump this post. A lot of the numbers in the OP are estimates. And just because you have prediabetes, doesn't mean you are full blow insulin resistant. I would also like point out, of that 30-35% estimated to have prediabets, about only 15% to 30% actually develop diabetes II.

http://www.diabetes.org/diabetes-basics/statistics/cdc-infographic.html

There are a handful of people who have insulin resistance and it's real, but it's not 40% of our population has full blown insulin resistance. Those that are prediabetic can get their A1C back to normal with just weight loss, many of which don't even have to be concerned about carbs.

OP, i am sorry it took so long for you to discover your health issues, but your situation does not apply to the majority of the population. I understand your frustration, over the past 4 years, my wife has been in and out of 7+ different hospitals and dealt with a ton of specialist to include: Cardiologist, Endocrinologist, Gastroenterologist, OBGYN's and Electrophysiologist for her medical conditions. She is borderline PCOS and Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome, so she has to be gluten free and low carb. Having said that, I do believe the majority of people can benefit from lowering their carbs, but that is merely for the fact that most people get too little protein in their diet.

What do you consider to have "full blown insulin resistance". Just because people can reverse it doesn't mean they don't have it while they have it. My understanding is that you have "full blow insulin resistance" based on your blood tests. 5.7-6.4 for A1C is at prediabetic levels and over that is diabetes. That's what the numbers are based on. How is that not "full blown insulin resistance"?

neanderthin

Exercise and weight loss are key.......even if people don't reduce their carbs both of these will make people more insulin sensitive......

True, true. But it can be difficult to lose the weight without the proper diet -- and for many people that means reducing carbs. They say abs are made in the kitchen for a reason -- you can't out exercise a bad diet, and that's even a bigger issue for those with insulin resistance more often than not.

Metabolic disorders are accounted for in the energy balance equation....granted it may be harder for some people to figure out their calorie maintenance but a calorie deficit and exercise is the best course of action.....and of course reducing carbs if someone was a carb freak would help promote the effects of a diet higher in protein and fat....which is satiation, which allows to deal easier and more effectively with a deficit, not rocket cooking.

That's simply wrong. If creating a calorie deficit gets into an unsafe amount of total calories, it is not a good solution for such things AT ALL. Once you get below a certain threshold of daily calories, it can be quite dangerous, especially for those with metabolic disorders.

The solution to metabolic disorders is NOT to eat less necessarily. It's to figure out what you need to do as a person with such a disorder (to even know if you have it) to maintain a healthy weight. If you have to sleep 14+ hours to combat the fatigue from your abnormal metabolism's inability to effectively metabolize food, that's not a meaningful or viable solution. Nor should it me.

Telling people with insulin resistance, thyroid disorder, PCOS, etc. to simply keep cutting calories not a healthy solution AT ALL. And can be downright dangerous for some.

I said exercise and weight loss......you promote whatever you want, I'll stick to that.

Sure but diet is ESSENTIAL to the weight loss equation in a healthy manner. You could cut off a leg and lose weight, but not exactly a good strategy to combat general weight/fat loss or insulin resistance.

Are you being intentionally obtuse or do you just not understand that?

You use obtuse and cutting off limbs in the same message and ask if I don't understand that ? What, weather cutting off limbs is a good strategy........yoy. It's all or nothing.....I love MFP, it's fun.

psuLemon

The estimates presented for undiagnosed populations were based on an NHANES survey and considered the results of fasting glucose or A1C tests - one result of one test. Anyone who has ever been pregnant and taken the gestational diabetes test knows that if you show up as positive on the first test, they bring you back in for a longer test before diagnosing you as having gestational diabetes.

Claiming that those population estimates are accurate based on one set of test results is flawed, not to mention that there are limitations to the tests themselves and factors that can impact the results. Those factors, particularly lifestyle factors, would not be accounted for in a survey, as most patients would not know to report those factors as possibly skewing their test results.

I just wanted to bump this post. A lot of the numbers in the OP are estimates. And just because you have prediabetes, doesn't mean you are full blow insulin resistant. I would also like point out, of that 30-35% estimated to have prediabets, about only 15% to 30% actually develop diabetes II.

http://www.diabetes.org/diabetes-basics/statistics/cdc-infographic.html

There are a handful of people who have insulin resistance and it's real, but it's not 40% of our population has full blown insulin resistance. Those that are prediabetic can get their A1C back to normal with just weight loss, many of which don't even have to be concerned about carbs.

OP, i am sorry it took so long for you to discover your health issues, but your situation does not apply to the majority of the population. I understand your frustration, over the past 4 years, my wife has been in and out of 7+ different hospitals and dealt with a ton of specialist to include: Cardiologist, Endocrinologist, Gastroenterologist, OBGYN's and Electrophysiologist for her medical conditions. She is borderline PCOS and Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome, so she has to be gluten free and low carb. Having said that, I do believe the majority of people can benefit from lowering their carbs, but that is merely for the fact that most people get too little protein in their diet.

What do you consider to have "full blown insulin resistance". Just because people can reverse it doesn't mean they don't have it while they have it. My understanding is that you have "full blow insulin resistance" based on your blood tests. 5.7-6.4 for A1C is at prediabetic levels and over that is diabetes. That's what the numbers are based on. How is that not "full blown insulin resistance"?

In the context of this discussion, I would equate insulin resistance with the inability to process carbohydrates. But anecdotal information from several people in this thread, a calorie deficit, weight loss and exercise allowed a person to get their A1C into the normal range.

psuLemon

The estimates presented for undiagnosed populations were based on an NHANES survey and considered the results of fasting glucose or A1C tests - one result of one test. Anyone who has ever been pregnant and taken the gestational diabetes test knows that if you show up as positive on the first test, they bring you back in for a longer test before diagnosing you as having gestational diabetes.

Claiming that those population estimates are accurate based on one set of test results is flawed, not to mention that there are limitations to the tests themselves and factors that can impact the results. Those factors, particularly lifestyle factors, would not be accounted for in a survey, as most patients would not know to report those factors as possibly skewing their test results.

I just wanted to bump this post. A lot of the numbers in the OP are estimates. And just because you have prediabetes, doesn't mean you are full blow insulin resistant. I would also like point out, of that 30-35% estimated to have prediabets, about only 15% to 30% actually develop diabetes II.

http://www.diabetes.org/diabetes-basics/statistics/cdc-infographic.html

There are a handful of people who have insulin resistance and it's real, but it's not 40% of our population has full blown insulin resistance. Those that are prediabetic can get their A1C back to normal with just weight loss, many of which don't even have to be concerned about carbs.

OP, i am sorry it took so long for you to discover your health issues, but your situation does not apply to the majority of the population. I understand your frustration, over the past 4 years, my wife has been in and out of 7+ different hospitals and dealt with a ton of specialist to include: Cardiologist, Endocrinologist, Gastroenterologist, OBGYN's and Electrophysiologist for her medical conditions. She is borderline PCOS and Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome, so she has to be gluten free and low carb. Having said that, I do believe the majority of people can benefit from lowering their carbs, but that is merely for the fact that most people get too little protein in their diet.

It's likely not "a handful of people" either.

More likely, it's not "the majority of the population".

psuLemon

So is the genesis of this PSA, is that exercise and weight loss (and potential macronutrient management) will help by reducing your A1C to either reverse or mitigate acquiring insulin resistance?

meridianova

In part it's a chicken and egg issue. Obesity-induced insulin resistance might make it a bit tougher to lose weight, but the way to alleviate this condition is to lose weight (and get off the couch and be more active). That said, there's a difference between a thyroid condition, PCOS and simply having some degree of obesity-induced insulin resistance. It's fine to say obesity-induced insulin makes it a bit more difficult to lose weight or that makes it so that certain macronutrient intakes work better for you than others - but that's akin to a mom saying it's more difficult for her to find time to workout because she has kids. It's an obstacle but it's one you can overcome if you really want to. PCOS and thyroid conditions can be more difficult obstacles to overcome, and I'm not trying to diminish the effort of people that have these conditions, but understand these are also much rarer conditions than suffering from some degree of obesity-induced insulin resistance.

i don't believe this is truly the case. i think what we're going to find, as medicine advances and the tests for thyroid conditions continue to improve, we're going to find that more and more people who truly struggle with weight loss have thyroid imbalances. it won't be nearly as rare as you think it is.

our society is quick to judge the overweight, quick to blame and shame, quick to discriminate. but being overweight can sometimes be a symptom of another problem rather than a direct result. don't get me wrong, i'm not saying that anyone who just doesn't want to put in the work of losing weight should jump on the "condishuns" bandwagon and add it to the santa's-naughty-list of excuses. but there comes a point when the mantras of "just try harder... just eat less" only hurt people rather than helping them.

And yes, low carb diets might help somewhat for people with obesity-induced insulin resistance, but then again they might not. They may well help with satiation, but you might also end up having to cut out your favorite foods in the process. Some people are going to do better feeling satiated, while others may be willing to go a bit hungry on certain days if it means they can still eat "yummy carbs." In short, it's probably worth being aware of these things, but it doesn't really change your options at the end of the day.

making changes in life is all about willpower and determination, regardless of WHAT the changes are. if you continue to keep doing what you were doing before, you're only going to get the same results you got before. i don't care if it's weight loss or health or improving your grades or learning a new skill... each one of us has to decide for ourselves whether the end result is worth giving up the things that kept us stagnant. so what if you're giving up your favorite foods? you either create new favorites that are within your chosen way of eating, you find ways of modifying your favorite foods so that they ARE acceptable on your chosen way of eating, or you set those foods aside as "once in a blue moon" so that you don't fall into the same traps.

in our little MFP world, our willpower is focused on eating less and exercising more. but we also have to allow ourselves to understand that sometimes, willpower also means going through the research and tests and trial-and-error of medicine. for me, it's FAR harder to accept that i might not be able to do it all by myself, and that i might need medical help.

meridianova

The estimates presented for undiagnosed populations were based on an NHANES survey and considered the results of fasting glucose or A1C tests - one result of one test. Anyone who has ever been pregnant and taken the gestational diabetes test knows that if you show up as positive on the first test, they bring you back in for a longer test before diagnosing you as having gestational diabetes.

Claiming that those population estimates are accurate based on one set of test results is flawed, not to mention that there are limitations to the tests themselves and factors that can impact the results. Those factors, particularly lifestyle factors, would not be accounted for in a survey, as most patients would not know to report those factors as possibly skewing their test results.

I just wanted to bump this post. A lot of the numbers in the OP are estimates. And just because you have prediabetes, doesn't mean you are full blow insulin resistant. I would also like point out, of that 30-35% estimated to have prediabets, about only 15% to 30% actually develop diabetes II.

http://www.diabetes.org/diabetes-basics/statistics/cdc-infographic.html

There are a handful of people who have insulin resistance and it's real, but it's not 40% of our population has full blown insulin resistance. Those that are prediabetic can get their A1C back to normal with just weight loss, many of which don't even have to be concerned about carbs.

OP, i am sorry it took so long for you to discover your health issues, but your situation does not apply to the majority of the population. I understand your frustration, over the past 4 years, my wife has been in and out of 7+ different hospitals and dealt with a ton of specialist to include: Cardiologist, Endocrinologist, Gastroenterologist, OBGYN's and Electrophysiologist for her medical conditions. She is borderline PCOS and Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome, so she has to be gluten free and low carb. Having said that, I do believe the majority of people can benefit from lowering their carbs, but that is merely for the fact that most people get too little protein in their diet.

What do you consider to have "full blown insulin resistance". Just because people can reverse it doesn't mean they don't have it while they have it. My understanding is that you have "full blow insulin resistance" based on your blood tests. 5.7-6.4 for A1C is at prediabetic levels and over that is diabetes. That's what the numbers are based on. How is that not "full blown insulin resistance"?

In the context of this discussion, I would equate insulin resistance with the inability to process carbohydrates. But anecdotal information from several people in this thread, a calorie deficit, weight loss and exercise allowed a person to get their A1C into the normal range.

after a while, you have to admit that anecdotal information isn't just anecdotal anymore, and truly indicative of a trend.

Fit_Housewife

I'll just pull up a chair here...

Not sure why you find it amusing if someone has a medical condition

kmash32

Everyone has insulin resistance. It's a natural part of the human body's workings. The exact point at which it becomes a problem is open to interpretation so it's the kind of thing alarmist quacks really like to throw statistics at. I wouldn't mind betting that the criteria for having insulin resistance in any associated studies are rather low. And regardless. Scrutinizing the minutiae of your body is the primary occupation of excuse makers and people with eating disorders. As a comfort eater I am very sympathetic to those who build unhealthy habits around food. It is something i suffer from myself. But I didn't beat it by nit picking bodily details until some magical fairy of negacarbia came down from diet heaven and twinkled all my hunger away. I did it by slowly and with the support of my family and friends cultivating healthy exercise habits. And new stress outlets to avoid the need to binge on food to relieve anxiety or depression. That and a good deal of willpower. Without which no amount of help or nit picking will suffice.

Your mind is the far greatest obstacle between you and health in the face of this all this "insulin resistance" rubbish is utterly trite.

As someone who has insulin resistance due to PCOS, also no thyroid (due to cancer) and a heart condition I can honestly say it isn't about making excuses for all of us. It also isn't just about calories in calories out. For some of us it is more about figuring out what combination of macros works best for us which is usually low carb/sugar.

So please don't assume you know all of us and that we all are making excuses unless you have walked in our shoes.

Good luck. Hope you can find your own "sweet spot" for weight loss.

Thanks

Fit_Housewife

if you want an excuse, you will find an excuse. when you are ready to actually lose weight, you will. only point the finger at yourself - anything else is an excuse.

No excuses, just knowledge which then empowers the individual to lose the weight. If you have never dealt with such an issue it may come across as such. Good for you that you never have, but leave those whom have alone.