Type 2 Diabetes and Skinny People - How Do They Handle Their Blood Sugar Levels?

One of the ongoing mysteries of Type 2 diabetes research has been that sometimes people who aren't fat nonetheless become diabetic. The reason may be genetic.

Nevertheless, aside from weight gain, the signs and symptoms are pretty much the same although some people never show any signs.

The most common signs and symptoms of Type 2 diabetes are:

• feeling very tired


• increased need to urinate


• skin becomes very dry


• vision becomes affected... blurriness


• hunger and/or thirst may increase


• sores, or cuts and abrasions usually take longer to heal


• various recurrent fungal infections such as genital thrush, or bacterial infections (especially urine infections)

Although some of these symptoms seem to be minor, if they are not acknowledged and investigated, they usually lead to more serious complications. The cause is high blood sugar levels... the sooner you manage your blood sugar levels your risk for the various diabetic complications will most definitely be reduced.

Italian scientists who conducted the Verona Newly Diagnosed Type 2 Diabetes Study have found that Type 2 diabetics who have high blood sugar levels but who aren't overweight often have abnormalities in a gene called TCF7L2. When this gene does not function correctly, the beta cells may stop producing enough insulin but fat, muscle, and liver still respond to insulin properly. Usually Type 2's develop insulin resistance and then their insulin-producing cells "burn out". When the problem is genetic, and with this gene, then Type 2 diabetes comes about without the years of insulin resistance and weight gain first.

Will chromium help? This also means that if you are thin and have been diagnosed with Type 2, taking chromium won't help you one little bit. Chromium improves insulin resistance, and that's not your problem!

How about exercise? This means that if you are thin and diabetic, exercise won't help you specifically with your Type 2 either; load-bearing exercise will help you in a very different way. If you are insulin resistant, exercise reduces insulin resistance. If you are not insulin resistant, load-bearing exercise at least helps clear out excess blood sugars in the post-exercise period.

What can a thin Type 2 diabetic do? If you are thin and diabetic, you just may be able to deal with your high blood sugar levels with injected insulin. That's actually easier than dieting and exercise, and maybe for you, insulin will take care of your Type 2 diabetes without making you gain weight. Put simply, insulin unlocks the "doors" of cells to let the sugar in and it also suppresses liver glucose production. Slim people with Type 2 diabetes may need supplementary injected insulin if they are insulin deficient. Otherwise, you need to be very, very careful with your diet and intake of carbohydrates.