Attitudes towards health and its links with weight gain have been changing at an extraordinary rate in recent years, with many campaigns and health professionals encouraging the nation to change their lifestyles for the better by shedding excess weight, a change that make all the difference with conditions such as diabetes.
There are many conditions associated with weight gain, but one that has been highlighted in recent times is diabetes, a condition which affects a large percentage of the country. Obesity can have a very adverse affect on conditions such as diabetes, however with the appropriate advice, monitoring, and motivation a diabetic’s lifestyle can be improved significantly, and this is where The Orsmond Clinic in Oranmore has succeeded, working with clients to change their lives, step by step, for the better.
“Everyone is talking about diabetes at the moment,” says Dr Eva Orsmond, a diet and nutrition expert, probably best known for her role in RTÉ’s Operation Transformation, and who is crusading to re-educate people on health and fitness. The Orsmond Clinics is a private specialist service run by Dr Orsmond which has offered a medically supervised, professional, approach to weight loss programmes and is one of the few clinics to offer programmes for patients with diabetes.
“Type 2 diabetics tend to be related to weight whereas Type 1 diabetes is nothing to do with lifestyle, it is an auto-immune issue and the numbers are very small. About 80 per cent of diabetics are Type 2. However now everyone including Type 1 diabetics are putting on weight. For Type 1 diabetics it is quite difficult for them to lose weight while on insulin as it takes energy and deposits it as fat. In order to lose weight it is important to reduce insulin, under medical supervision,” said Dr Orsmond who added that while Type 2 diabetics are suitable to a low calorie diet Type 1 diabetics are more suited to the 3A diet plan.
“Type 2 diabetics have bad glucose control and take tablets for that but they are still bad when it comes to weight gain. Some have good control of their glucose levels with the help of medication but if they adjusted their diet for the better they wouldn’t need medication at all. You can reverse Type 2 with lifestyle change. Type 1 diabetics can’t do the low calorie diet, they need slightly higher carbohydrates. With this type of diabetes, clients will never come completely off insulin because they don’t have insulin production, but it can be reduced safely to allow weight loss and a healthier lifestyle. With the right advice and motivation you can lose the weight,” said Dr Orsmond.
One client, with Type 1 diabetes who successfully lost weight after seeking advice from staff at the Orsmond Clinic in Oranmore is 54-year-old Carmel Healy. Ms Healy, who is from Strokestown, Roscommon, first began the 3A diet plan in May 2011 and has since lost an amazing four stone and six pounds (14 stone 12 pounds down to 10 stone six pounds ). Now at a svelte size 12 in jeans, Ms Healy is not only enjoying a new-found sense of confidence but her diabetes has improved too.
“I’ve been a Type 1 diabetic since I was six years old. I was on four insulin injections a day, had high blood pressure for which I took tablets for nearly 25 years. Now, I’m off all tablets. When I started Dr Eva explained to me that insulin actually makes you more hungry and stores fat. The first thing we did was cut down my insulin injections; I was on 78 units, three times a day, now I’m on three units three times a day and one injection at night which went down from 30 units to 10 units. The programme I am on has been brilliant. My overall wellbeing has improved significantly. I found the staff at the clinic to be very supportive, they really motivate you. If you stick to Dr Eva’s recipes and advice you will lose the weight. My whole lifestyle has changed and I intend to keep it that way. It was the best thing I’ve ever done.”
For more information call Orsmond Clinics on 01 2827500 or email [email protected], or alternatively log onto www.orsmondclinics.com Orsmond Clinics are located at Baggot St and Loughlinstown, Dublin; Oranmore Galway; Newbridge, Kildare; and Limerick.
Dr Orsmond’s book The Last Diet, which includes easy-to-follow weight loss steps, tasty recipes, and sound advice, was launched on January 12 and is now available in leading bookshops.
