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Another theory points to adi-
pose (fatty) tissue hiding deep
within your central torso, near your
organs. This is also called
visceral
fat. You might have heard some
people refer to such fat as their
“spare tire.” Measuring this “waist-
line fat” is another means of assess-
ing risk. Why? Visceral fat churns
out more by-products than other
fat cells, including free fatty acids.
Researchers think these acids and
other by-products harmfully affect
surrounding cells and organs—
they’re sort of like garbage pollut-
ing your body’s environment. Could
they also cause insulin resistance?
Some scientists suspect so, but at
the moment they just don’t know
for sure. According to the NDIC,
however, one’s risk of developing type 2 diabetes (as well as heart disease)
increases substantially for men with a waist measurement over forty inches
and for women with a waist measurement over thirty-five inches.
Whatever the
physiological
mechanism, we do know that excess
weight kicks type 2 diabetes into action. As is the case with other forms of
diabetes,
genetics
probably predispose a person to the disease. Unlike the
other forms of diabetes, however, environmental factors such as lack of exer-
cise and obesity usually set the disease in motion. Consequently, many cases
of type 2 are preventable. Think about the following case:
Lyle and Leslie are
fraternal twins
. At fifteen years old, both stayed
active and fit through sports. Both ate as well as their parents could
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