It is normal to feel down about having diabetes in the beginning but once you learn more
about the disease and how to control it you can also feel more in control of your life
again. Take charge, if you are obese and want to improve your blood glucose levels you
can. By eating a healthy diet and regular exercise you can lose weight and improve your
blood sugars.

If your feeling of being down or hopeless will not go away and is accompanied by any of
the following as well you may be depressed. If this is the case, contact your doctor right
away.

Signs of depression:

* You are no longer sleeping like you used to (more or less)
* Not enjoying life or everyday activities like you used to
* No energy to do things you want or have to do
* You are eating more or less or have sudden weight gain or loss

If you are experiencing any of these symptoms you seek help. Being obese and diabetic
can be trying both mentally and physically. It is important to know that you can take
action to make things better. Your diabetes may never go away but you can certainly
keep it under control and live a full life. By losing weight, even a small amount, you can
make a huge difference in your health and diabetes.

These may be easier said than done. There are new studies that are now showing that
there is a genetic factor or mutation for people who are obese and have diabetes. This
genetic malfunction affects how the bodies use energy and insulin – two key elements in
the functioning of your body and the cause of diabetes and obesity.

The studies also state that this is not a cause and effect case. If you carry this defective
gene you are not guaranteed to be obese or have diabetes. But the link is there and it can
be prevented. You may have to work harder at it than others to maintain a healthy body
weight and put off diabetes but it can be done. Discuss with your doctor options and
ways to prevent or put-off the onset of diabetes.

The gene that researchers have discovered as a precursor to diabetes has been found in
young children. It is scary to know that children in their preschool years are being
diagnosed with obesity and type 2 diabetes due to genetics. But parents can reduce or
prevent these things from happening by giving their children healthy lifestyle choices.
Now that a DNA link has been found, the research can focus on finding a way to fix or
prevent this from happening at some point in the future.