Body Mass Index (BMI) & the Impact on Insulin Therapy Regulation

Diabetes is a health complication that continues to affect millions of adults worldwide. In the United States, there are many adults who struggle to manage blood glucose levels with Type 2 diabetes through diet and exercise, only to find they will ultimately require insulin therapy.

If you, or someone you know, has been diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes, it is important to understand the dynamics associated with this metabolic complication. Brushing up on the latest information about diet and exercise plans may, ultimately, be in vain as many diabetics ultimately turn to insulin therapy to manage this health complication.

When initiating insulin therapy for uncontrolled Type 2 diabetes, the primary focus of care will be to achieve and maintain a healthy blood glucose level. If you are overweight and continuing to struggle with Type 2 diabetes, you can expect your symptoms will be more obviously noted in your continued weight gain during insulin therapy. In fact, your weight or, more specifically, your BMI may be the ultimate determining factor in how much insulin therapy you will require.

Insulin therapy causes weight gain by decreasing your metabolism and your ability to naturally breakdown glucose. It is this reduction in your energy that will cause the weight gain that is so common in the first few months, or year, of insulin therapy. In many cases, however, with proper insulin therapy management, coupled with diet and exercise, many Type 2 diabetics realize an improvement in BMI and experience a plateau in weight gain within two to three years of beginning the insulin therapy.

Your weight at the time of initiating insulin therapy may have no bearing upon your weight gain after initiating insulin therapy. This is to say, if you manage a healthy BMI at the time you start insulin therapy, you will still suffer the consequences of weight gain during the first year of insulin therapy administration. During the first year of insulin therapy, and subsequently thereafter, it will be your weight gain and BMI that may determine how much insulin therapy dosing adjustments should be made.

If you are treating for Type 2 diabetes and require insulin therapy, ask your healthcare professional about supporting your treatment with the use of metformin. With metformin, many Type 2 diabetics find they are able to gain a greater control over the weight gain, although not able to completely prevent it.

As with any form of treatment for a metabolic disorder, it is important to understand the complications and side effects of such treatment. While Type 2 diabetics often work to manage blood glucose levels with diet and exercise, ultimately, the need for insulin therapy may not be avoidable. With insulin therapy, however, be mindful that weight gain is to be expected but, with support of metformin, may be a managed until dosing adjustments can be made based on your weight and BMI. Expect plateaus in weight gain within two to three years while on insulin therapy.