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Type 2 diabetes and weight gain

camelot65

camelot65

Newbie
Messages
4
Type of diabetes
Parent
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
My father has been a type 2 diabetic for 10 years or so with not too much problem. However over the last year or so he has suffered weight loss which seem to coincide with being taken off metformin and now he has been put back on it he is not putting the weight back on. I don't no if whey supplements are suitable to help him regain the weight. He has also having episodes where he is having depressing thoughts, he says that they do not last long seconds or minutes not days. The doctor prescribed anti depressants which haven't helped despite an increased dosage (I am not happy about him being on them as i don't feel it is full depression- not that i understand the condition) My simplification is that he has lost his MOJO and lacks the confidence he always had.
I'm worried and think he needs to talk to a professional if anyone has any recommendations. Also if any ideas on weight gains that are safe for diabetics
Thanks
 
Can you give us more information on what type of diet he is following? I am low-carbing and sometimes feel a bit depressed, but then I discovered that taking multi B vitamins really helps with this (maybe cutting out yeasted products like bread led to a deficiency?)
 
He is not following any diet plan as such and he needs to put the weight back on that he has lost. Sorry if I am confusing you
 
camelot65 said:
My father has been a type 2 diabetic for 10 years or so with not too much problem. However over the last year or so he has suffered weight loss which seem to coincide with being taken off metformin and now he has been put back on it he is not putting the weight back on. I don't no if whey supplements are suitable to help him regain the weight. He has also having episodes where he is having depressing thoughts, he says that they do not last long seconds or minutes not days. The doctor prescribed anti depressants which haven't helped despite an increased dosage (I am not happy about him being on them as i don't feel it is full depression- not that i understand the condition) My simplification is that he has lost his MOJO and lacks the confidence he always had.
I'm worried and think he needs to talk to a professional if anyone has any recommendations. Also if any ideas on weight gains that are safe for diabetics
Thanks
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I think it would be a good idea for him to see his doctor and have the weight loss and depressive thoughts thoroughly looked into. In the elderly, weight loss can be a sign of illness, so some routine blood tests and maybe tests for thyroid, iron, and vitamin and mineral deficiencies would be a good start. He is probably deficient in vitamin D as it is rare for older people to get enough time in the sunshine with large body areas exposed. Depression is common in the elderly. It can also be secondary to another illness. Weight loss is a depression symptom too. There are potentially dozens of illnesses/deficiencies that could be causing these signs and symptoms.

One last thing, mild weight loss is not particularly abnormal in the elderly. His doctor would consider what his actual weight is and how that compares to the average for his height, gender and age. It may be a normal part of the aging process.
 
They sent him for blood test, thyroid etc but nothing showed up. I understand what you are saying but he has always been fairly fit (3 games of golf a week) He has lost 2 stone in the last year going from 14st to 12st and this in itself has aged him by 10 years. His appetite is good still
 
Unless he is extremely tall, 12 stone is probably more in line with a healthy weight target than 14 stone would have been.

Is he concerned about it?

The way to gain weight is to eat calorie-dense food, such as high fat and high carb food. There are liquid supplements like Ensure that are quite high calorie. Whey protein probably wouldn't promote weight gain as much as a supplement high in all 3 macronutrients would. He could also add cream, grated cheese etc to food and drinks.

If his doctor thinks he should gain weight, he or she could refer him to a dietician, who can give advice and prescribe supplements.
 
I know 12st sounds ok but he is 6ft2 and he just looks gaunt and unhealthy and it is worrying him I think. I will look into that ensure, i take it it is ok for him
 
Hi. Can you give us some idea of his most recent HBa1C and I assume he has a meter and what are his typical readings 2 hours after a meal. Note that in a few cases unexplained weight loss can be caused by being T1 and not T2 but there could be other causes.
 
camelot65 said:
I know 12st sounds ok but he is 6ft2 and he just looks gaunt and unhealthy and it is worrying him I think. I will look into that ensure, i take it it is ok for him
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Ok I admit that he would look thin, at 6 ft 2 in. I ran his height and weight through a BMI calculator and the result was 21.6. The "normal" range is 20-25. By comparison, 14 stone would have made him 25.2. So, in a strictly technical sense, he is not "underweight", but of course he looks and feels underweight, and BMI is not always the most accurate kind of measure. He has lost around 15% of his previous weight, which a dietician would find significant, and I believe it would qualify him for subsidised supplemental food (in NZ).

You could take these figures with him to his doctor and ask them to investigate whether an illness is causing this. T1 diabetes is a possibility, along with other illnesses. In the meantime, he should be eating the most calorie-dense foods he can find that will not wreck his blood glucose control. "Ensure" does have a fair amount of carbs, but it may still be ok for him. Maybe 3 months of slightly higher BGs would be worth it if he gets up to say, 13 stone or more. BG control targets can increase a bit in a situation like this, especially in an elderly person.
 
If he was taking metformin for a long time, vitamin B12 and/or folate deficiency is a real possibility as metformin can interfere with absorption of some vitamins/minerals.
 
Indy51 said:
If he was taking metformin for a long time, vitamin B12 and/or folate deficiency is a real possibility as metformin can interfere with absorption of some vitamins/minerals.
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True. Although I think 2 stone in 12 months is a bit faster weight loss than would be caused by those deficiencies.
 
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