Why Does Obesity Causes Diabetes?
New Research: A report this week in Science proposes that being overweight stresses the insides of individual cells. Specifically, overeating stresses the membranous network inside of cells called endoplasmic reticulum (ER). When the ER has more nutrients to process than it can handle, it sends out an alarm signal telling the cell to dampen down the insulin receptors on the cell surface. This translates to insulin resistance and to persistently high concentrations of the sugar glucose in the blood — one of the sure signs of diabetes. Comment: Research into diabetes today is far ranging. It ranges from the environment to the deep dark recesses of the single cell. It is much easier to look at the environment, for example, “Super Size Me” in a fast-food culture, than it is to sort out what is going on inside the workings of an individual cell. Barbara K. Hecht,Ph.D. Frederick Hecht, M.D. Medical Editors, MedicineNet.
