Cannot fit into your old jeans? You might be at risk of diabetes

Experts have made eye-raising claims that if you cannot fit in your jeans from when you were 21-years-old, you might be at risk of developing type 2 diabetes. 

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Newcastle University’s Professor Roy Taylor told a leading diabetes conference that if people’s waists are larger than they were at 21, they are "carrying too much fat".

"As a rule of thumb, your waist size should be the same now as when you were 21. If you can’t get into the same size trousers now, you are carrying too much fat and therefore at risk of developing type 2 diabetes, even if you aren’t overweight."

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Professor Taylor mentioned that there are different reasons why people get diabetes and weight can be one. 

Twelve participants completed a programme of three rounds. Participants had to lose 10-15% of body weight. Once the weight loss was achieved, scans showed reductions in the fat in the liver and eight of the 12 participants saw their type 2 diabetes go into remission, which was defined as having blood sugar levels under control and patients no longer needing any medication.

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"These results, while preliminary, demonstrate very clearly that diabetes is not caused by obesity but by being too heavy for your own body," Professor Taylor added. 

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