Does Having Type 1 Diabetes Mean You Can't Get Fat?

GreatDepression
GreatDepression Posts: 347 Member
in Chit-Chat
If your body doesn't have enough insulin, your body doesn't store energy into fat cells. Does this mean that type 1 diabetics can't get fat if untreated?

Replies

  • Leonidas_meets_Spartacus
    Leonidas_meets_Spartacus Posts: 6,198 Member
    You will die if untreated. Insulin is needed to control blood sugar.
  • Smirnoff65
    Smirnoff65 Posts: 1,060 Member
    What he says
  • VBnotbitter
    VBnotbitter Posts: 820 Member
    Well technically no you can't, on the grounds that dead people don't gain weight
  • AJ_G
    AJ_G Posts: 4,158 Member
    Was that a serious question?
  • Left4Good
    Left4Good Posts: 304
    I hope you're not serious. You will die if you have type 1 diabetes and do not take insulin.
  • Angelf2011
    Angelf2011 Posts: 2
    Type 1 for over 30 years and YES you can still gain lots of weight. Your sugars will be all over the place the heavier you are. I have had to learn when they go low to not stuff food in mouth (you want that low blood sugar feeling to go away fast) as trust me all those calories go on the body. Just like everyone else you need to eat right/well and exercise. Hope that helps.
  • kmm0034
    kmm0034 Posts: 46 Member
    Ha ha ha. No. See, you need the insulin to live if you have type 1. Otherwise you die. In fact, in some circles, it's generally believed that the vampire myths got many of their little quirks thanks to diabetes in medieval times. The whole 'oh look I'm in a near coma, not dead' thing, among other reasons.

    I do suppose however, that if you are dead, you can't get fat. So there is that.
  • rlengland2014
    rlengland2014 Posts: 98 Member
    Ha ha ha, yes. If you look at historical type I diabetics, prior to the advent of insulin, they did die and they were young and very thin when they died.
  • fatcity66
    fatcity66 Posts: 1,544 Member
    I've heard some bodybuilders (that are not diabetic) have used insulin to lose weight/cut body fat. Is that accurate?
  • AZKristi
    AZKristi Posts: 1,801 Member
    If your body can't convert sugar to fat, sugar accumulates in the blood stream to a level where it becomes toxic. You slip into a coma and die. There are worse things in life than weight gain.
  • sculli123
    sculli123 Posts: 1,221 Member
    Yes you can. But along those lines, sometimes type 1 diabetics will purposely take less insulin than needed in order to go into keto and lose weight. VERY dangerous, this is how they start having major health problems. Speaking from experience on this as someone who was close to me did that.
  • sculli123
    sculli123 Posts: 1,221 Member
    I've heard some bodybuilders (that are not diabetic) have used insulin to lose weight/cut body fat. Is that accurate?
    No. They use it to gain, not lose. Insulin is anabolic but it's a crazy practice if you ask me. They risk shutting down their natural insulin production. Scary.
  • Hilemanjr
    Hilemanjr Posts: 31
    My wife has type 1 diabetes and the insulin is making her gain wait so her Dr is now having her on a strict diet of lean meats and green vegtables only so he can get her weight loss down and reduce her insulin use.
  • fatcity66
    fatcity66 Posts: 1,544 Member
    I've heard some bodybuilders (that are not diabetic) have used insulin to lose weight/cut body fat. Is that accurate?
    No. They use it to gain, not lose. Insulin is anabolic but it's a crazy practice if you ask me. They risk shutting down their natural insulin production. Scary.

    Ah, that makes sense. Yes, I agree. Stupid practice for that very reason.

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