Challenging the Diabetes Narrative: A Critical Review of 'What If We're Wrong About Diabetes?'

To solve a problem, one must identify its cause and effect. Without understanding these, solutions remain elusive. Such is the issue with the current obesity epidemic.

Everyone thinks obesity is simply caused by overeating and a lack of exercise, right? That's the problem. Through my interviews, most people have concluded that obesity stems from unhealthy food and inactivity, ignoring other factors. 

Have you heard of insulin resistance? Probably not. Insulin, a hormone from the pancreas, is responsible for moving glucose, or blood sugar, from our blood into cells for energy. When someone becomes insulin resistant, more insulin is needed to be produced to keep up with the body’s resistance. The body produces more and more insulin until it physically cannot keep up with the insulin resistance. The main problem is that blood sugar levels become hard to control. However, that’s not the entire problem. Excess insulin can trigger hunger, fat storage, inflammation, and over the long run, diabetes. 

In a TED Talk, Dr. Peter Attia discusses his struggle with insulin resistance and obesity. Despite leading a healthy lifestyle, he gained a lot of weight due to insulin resistance. By avoiding refined grains, starches, sugars, and carbs, he lost over 40 pounds while exercising less. 

Dr. Attia's experience shows that even a health professional can become obese due to insulin resistance, a chronic condition not easily controlled. This raises the question: is there a relationship between insulin resistance and obesity? It seems so, since over 90% of the 422 million type 2 diabetes patients are obese. 

Dr. Attia suggests that insulin resistance might cause obesity, not the other way around. If true, the health industry might be targeting the wrong issue by focusing on obesity instead of insulin resistance. This misdirection could be why obesity treatments often fail, costing billions annually. 

Imagine living in a society that blames and shuns you for a condition you can't control. The internet blames obesity and diabetes on overeating and inactivity, while medications only offer temporary relief. It's a sad reality for many, misunderstood and mistreated by a world that fails to see the true cause. 

By Victoria Maeng

GEL Student Blogger