Breakfast

[Dragonheart]

why some people can eat lots of carbs and not become insulin resistant.

Genetics would be my best guess. I see it as a loaded gun genetically and the lifestyle as the trigger you may or may not pull. Lots of people have probably always had the potential to become type 2 but didn’t due to different life experiences. The explosion of cases hasn’t come about because we evolved genetically in a generation or two. It’s changed because we changed our lifestyles and diet.

Older people also spent much of their life eating carbs yes but it was less processed, fewer seed oils, eating real meats, dairy and fats not manufactured, altered ones. They were likely also more physical. So probably the way you eat as a child/young person increases your odds (or not) both epigenetically and in terms of life long habits. After all type 2 is a process that takes years to evolve and be seen usually, not weeks or even months

Researchers like Prof Taylor believe we each have a personal fat threshold. My understanding of that is that it refers more to internal visceral fat rather than an all over visible fat. Some people grow rather obese and still dont have glucose/insulin issues as they have the capacity for more fat storage. Others simply don’t and get type 2 as a result more easily. Again if that is proven correct (and I’m not convinced by all of his hypotheses as published) then it would still come down to a genetic fat tolerance.

I live with a very high carb high calorie person whose hba1c and weight etc is enviable. They also have a very different activity level to me for a whole host of reasons. We can all point to exceptions of how carbs do or don’t transpose into real life. Doesn’t change the way it does for lots of others though.

 

[Dragonheart]

The comments here suggest it is a given: if you eat an unhealthy diet and gain weight, you will definitely get type 2 diabetes.

I hope I’ve not made it appear I think it’s a given. Excess carbs may led to insulin resistance which may lead to type 2. It would increase the odds imo rather than give a guarantee. Travellor and Jo the oat compared it to smoking (albeit in different ways) which I’d agree with. Both in the respect that some get cancer/disease from it and a few don’t and also in the denial of a problem backed by big industry distortion of facts and a medical community slow to accept the facts. Today I believe the financial influence of industrial and pharmaceutical giants hugely distorts the nutritional environment and beliefs and even the way the “science” is portrayed as this thread initially proposed. No we won’t all suffer obviously or directly as individuals but we so clearly are as a population, whilst much of the medical profession remain stuck in denial or ignorance fortunately there are some pioneers desperately trying to raised the blinkers. Sometimes their theories will be spot on and sometimes not but at least they aren’t denying it.

and do not have type 2 diabetes or prediabetes

Remember also until insulin resistance is so bad eventually it effects blood glucose it goes unseen undiagnosed for many years with other things like a beer/pregnant looking belly, high blood pressure, high triglycerides, skin tags, etc all occurring but without considering the link to IR. So are these people all as problem free as they appear to be?

If only routine insulin testing was done periodically throughout adulthood it would be so much easier to spot a rise in this long before the rise in blood glucose.

 

[helli]

I believe there is also a genetic component to obesity.
Two people can eat the same (or similar) and do the same amount of exercise. One may end up obese and the other may not.
I support education in terms of avoiding risk of obesity and diabetes - through exercise and less processed food. But I feel there is too much spouted about absolutes - you "will get type 2 diabetes if you eat this or that" does not get he message across to people who have friends and family without.

 

[Leadinglights]

It seems the luck of the draw, my father and grandfather were life long vegetarians, father was Type 2 and died from a heart attack at 53 and grandfather lived until he was 90, died 2 days after his son. My mother also died in her early 50ies so I feel quite lucky to have survived to 71.

 

[Dragonheart]

I support education in terms of avoiding risk of obesity and diabetes - through exercise and less processed food. But I feel there is too much spouted about absolutes - you "will get type 2 diabetes if you eat this or that" does not get he message across to people who have friends and family without.

I agree entirely about the need for accurate education. I’m not sure I’ve seen it expressed as absolutes in the way you express. Perhaps there’s a degree of how the message is interpreted and perceived as well as presented happening here.

There’s also the arguments that when you talk about risk (accurately) there’s a subsection of the population that are convinced they are invincible because great aunty Flo seemed to get away with it so they will too, or those that need a bit of fear to motivate them (which will terrify some or get others to ignore the message entirely as inaccurate). A fine line for the message to reach everyone appropriately.

 

[nonethewiser]

It seems the luck of the draw, my father and grandfather were life long vegetarians, father was Type 2 and died from a heart attack at 53 and grandfather lived until he was 90, died 2 days after his son. My mother also died in her early 50ies so I feel quite lucky to have survived to 71.

Baffling isn't it, think many of us have similar tales to tell in our families.

Decided long time ago not to worry about trivial things in life & enjoy what time I have left, sometimes there's no point in fretting about things you cannot change.

 

[Jotheboat]

My parents only ever used sunflower seed oil, my mum lived on white bread sandwiches mostly.
Potatoes in every family meal.
Very carb and seed oil heavy.
Died very skinny in her 90's.
She always walked everywhere, shopped with her shopping trolley, did the washing in a single tub machine, a lot of exercise.

🙂 Good on her.
Sounds as if she had a good balance but there does seem to be a level of chance doesn't there?

As others have stated, some people, for whatever reason, have a predisposition to T2. Some, even more unlucky (in my opinion) are saddled with T1 and are unable to shift it.
We T2s, can manage it if we cop it to varying degrees, with lifestyle choices. I also believe that those susceptible can lessen the chances of acquiring it using similar measures.

 

[Deleted member 21371]

Let's not forget the last generation grew up on Stork margarine!

 

[Jotheboat]

Let's not forget the last generation grew up on Stork margarine!

So that's what went wrong!

Oil and margarine manufacture / processing is a pretty gruesome affair.
Here's a You Tube from a year ago about oils

Oil is refined further to make margarine.

 

[Deleted member 21371]

🙂 Good on her.
Sounds as if she had a good balance but there does seem to be a level of chance doesn't there?

As others have stated, some people, for whatever reason, have a predisposition to T2. Some, even more unlucky (in my opinion) are saddled with T1 and are unable to shift it.
We T2s, can manage it if we cop it to varying degrees, with lifestyle choices. I also believe that those susceptible can lessen the chances of acquiring it using similar measures.

Indeed.
Exercise, stay slim, and like most people vegetable oils and carbs don't make any difference.
Obviously I am genetically disposed to type 2, but the same diet works for me now.

 

[indio02]

Salt is needed in bread to activate the yeast.

Salt kills yeast its the sugar that activates it ie the yeast eats the sugar. The salt in bread is there purely for flavour.

 

[helli]

Salt kills yeast its the sugar that activates it ie the yeast eats the sugar. The salt in bread is there purely for flavour.

Made without salt does not “work”. I have (accidentally) tried once or twice.
However, there does not have to be as much salt as is often included. I usually half the salt from recipes.