Introduction:
Diabetes is a health condition where your body struggles to regulate blood sugar levels properly. This health condition happens because your pancreas can’t produce enough insulin or because your body can’t use insulin effectively. Over time, uncontrolled diabetes can cause damage to vital organs such as the heart, kidneys, eyes, nerves, and more if it is left untreated.
The Common Misconception:
The majority of people aren’t well-informed and educated about the different types of diabetes and often tend to mix them up. They assume that all types of diabetes show the same type of symptoms, so they assume the cure is a one-size-fits-all case for all diabetes patients. Here are the different types of diabetes:
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Type 1 Diabetes: Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune condition where the body attacks insulin-producing cells. It usually appears in childhood or adolescence, and patients depend on insulin for survival.
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Type 2 Diabetes: The most common form, where the body either resists insulin or doesn’t make enough of it. This type is usually linked to lifestyle factors like diet, physical activity, and weight but not always.
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Maturity-Onset Diabetes of the Young (MODY): A rare type of diabetes that is caused by the mutation of a single gene. It is genetic and hereditary.
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Latent Autoimmune Diabetes in Adults (LADA): This type of diabetes is slow-progressing and affects adults. It is commonly referred to as type 1.5 diabetes because people with this type of diabetes show symptoms of both type 1 as well as type 2 diabetes.
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Neonatal Diabetes: A type of diabetes which is rare and affects infants and babies. This is also caused by a genetic mutation.
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Steroid-Induced Diabetes: A silent yet deadly type of diabetes that develops because of long-term consumption of steroid medications.
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Diabetes from Pancreatic Damage: A type of diabetes that forms as a result of weakened and damaged pancreas due to conditions such as cystic fibrosis or pancreatitis, or after surgery to remove the pancreas.
Stuck In the Saying of Olden Days:
A lot of people assume that just because they are slim, they are immune to health problems. This ignorant mindset stems from being stuck in the saying of the olden days, where people used to say, “people who are lean and fit don’t get health issues” and “physically unfit people and overweight people are prone to getting a lot of health issues”. These sayings have been passed down through generations, and a lot of people blindly believe them without solid medical proof to back them. It's about time we break this stereotypical myth and educate ourselves by spreading awareness about it, and make people understand that health problems, especially when it comes to type 2 diabetes, go deeper than just body types and how slim a person is.
More to what meets the eye:
Whenever someone around us mentions to us that a person has type 2 diabetes, in our mind, we always visualise that the person suffering from type 2 diabetes is overweight, plump, and unfit. But reality is often different and much deeper than what meets the eye. Recent studies have shown that Indian people who are lean and physically fit can be vulnerable to type 2 diabetes. This hidden form of diabetes is becoming increasingly common and highlights the need for better awareness and prevention. This study is proof that people, regardless of body type, shape, weight, and build, need to get regular health checkups to stay updated on their health, so the health issues can be treated at their initial stages before they get worse.
The Thin-Fat Indian Paradoxical:
The majority of the Indian people might appear to look fit and slim on the outside, but tend to carry a lot of hidden fat on the inside, deep within their vital organs, making it a lot harder to detect. This type of hidden fat is known as visceral fat, and it is usually stored around the organs like the liver and pancreas. This type of fat is very harmful and silently causes insulin resistance, fatty liver, and eventually diabetes. There is no way of figuring out a solution to these problems without medical assistance. Doctors nowadays are noticing that young, active patients with normal BMIs show early signs of diabetes at an alarming rate. This poses a silent risk that most people don’t expect.
BMI is Not a Reliable Factor:
BMI is not a reliable source or a factor to determine if someone has diabetes or not. BMI (Body Mass Index) is simply a metric used to measure if someone is overweight, underweight, or of normal weight. This index, however, won’t identify the inner workings of the body with accuracy. It is only used to calculate the numbers on your weighing scale, so it can not be used as a parameter to determine a person’s health conditions. So to determine one’s health, BMI is an incomplete tool. Based on BMI charts, a person might appear to be healthy according to the measurements and chart, but might be at a higher risk of being vulnerable to diabetes even if they’re slim, fit, and active when they carry visceral fat.
The Determining Factors of Diabetes:
Genetics play a major role and is one of the key factors as to why so many people are prone to diabetes even at lower body weights. This is because many babies in India are born underweight and with lower birth rates due to low maternal nutrition. As they grow up, their bodies adapt to scarcity by developing a metabolism that conserves calories. Later in life, when exposed to calorie-rich diets and sedentary lifestyles, this early programming backfires on the initially developed scarcity metabolism, leading to fat deposits around vital organs. The combination of sedentary lifestyles, high-calorie food intake, and early deprivation followed by health neglect is what makes Indians especially vulnerable to diabetes.
High Risk of Misdiagnosis:
Since the majority of the patients don’t fit into the typical diagnosis of a stereotypical diabetes patient, this leads to misdiagnosis. Some of them are even mistakenly diagnosed as type 1 diabetes patients and get put on lifelong insulin support, which is not necessary. Just a few simple tests, such as checking C-peptide levels or insulin antibodies, can help doctors distinguish and identify the right type of diabetes with accuracy and offer the most effective treatment and diagnosis to patients accordingly.
Customised Treatment Approach:
Different types of diabetes affect different people in unique ways. Treatment and cure for a lean diabetic might not be the same for an obese diabetic patient. Medicines that are used for weight loss might not work as effectively alongside diabetes medicines. Instead, medication that stimulates insulin secretion are prescribed because they often prove to be more effective. Doctors are now exploring newer and more advanced precision medicine, customising treatment plans to match each patient’s subtype of diabetes for better long-term outcomes.
Prevention is Better than Cure:
Diabetes, especially caused by genetic factors, is inevitable. However, there are a few ways one can reduce the risk of being prone to diabetes by taking the following measures:
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Improving maternal nutrition intake during pregnancy so the child won’t develop scarcity metabolism during the early stages of growth.
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Ensuring balanced childhood diets and growth so the body will get used to building a stronger immunity.
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Encouraging active but sustainable exercise habits to lower the chances of visceral fat storage.
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Regular health checkups should be prioritised even for slim and fit-looking adults.
Conclusion:
The rise of type 2 diabetes among slim Indians is proof that health is more than skin appearance, looks, and body type. Looking lean and being fit doesn’t automatically mean you’re inherently safe from lifestyle diseases. By focusing on prevention, early detection, and the right medical guidance, we can fight back against this hidden health challenge.
