People with diabetes are less likely to develop multiple long-term conditions (MLTC) if they lose weight, an international researcher has said.
Speaking today at the Trend Diabetes National Conference in London, Professor Kamlesh Khunti revealed that there are more than 200 health problems that are associated with obesity, including cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, gout, chronic back pain, depression and asthma.
According to Professor Khunti, obesity reduces an individual’s life expectancy. People living with diabetes and previous cardiovascular disease are reportedly at risk of losing roughly 12 years of life.
Research presented at the conference highlighted that 40-year-old adults living with MLTC can increase their life expectancy by three years if they start to complete regular physical activity.
Professor Khunti, who is the Professor of Primary Care Diabetes and Vascular Medicine at the University of Leicester, said: “MLTC can start as early as in your twenties.”
Individuals with a body mass index (BMI) of 35 or more are 15 times more likely to develop MLTC compared to those with a lower BMI, Professor Khunti identified.