How Obesity and Type 2 Diabetes Are Connected

I spoke to LiveStrong for this piece about why Type 2 Diabetes can cause weight loss:

One of the early signs of type 2 diabetes is unplanned weight loss — and not just a pound or two. Unexplained weight loss of 10 pounds or more in a short period of time is cause for concern, according to the Cleveland Clinic. The culprit? Insulin resistance.

“If the body is not able to sensitize insulin, meaning it’s not taking glucose from the blood and into the cells to be used as energy, the body will need to find an alternative energy source. It may then turn to utilizing fat and/or muscle as its energy source,” explains Maya Feller, RD, CDN, a dietitian who specializes in nutrition for chronic disease prevention. “The net effect is unintentional weight loss.”

Feller notes, though, that this is more common when someone has type 1 diabetes.