Losing weight with Type 2 diabetes

Eighty-five per cent of Type 2 diabetics are overweight and that's the cause of their diabetes in the first case. A ten per cent drop in body weight through good nutrition and exercise will produce a 50 per cent drop in blood sugar levels. However, for physiological reasons diabetics do find it harder to lose weight, sometimes because of the medication we doctors prescribe.

The Gi diet works on the principle of eating foods, which release sugar into the blood stream gradually (low Gi index) and so reduces hunger and the tendency towards excessive calorie intake.

Following a Gi diet can be quite complicated and hasn't found favour with medical experts yet. Nutrition for Life gives a balanced account of the Gi approach to weight loss, along with almost every other dieting technique we know and would help you make your own assessment of it. In my opinion, however, a Gi diet is not yet fully understood and still too complex for everyday use.

Your mum should talk to her doctor about reducing her calorie intake through adopting a traditional low fat, low sugar diet but also remember that increasing her physical activity levels is just as important, especially for diabetics.
Dr Ian Campbell, President, National Obesity Forum