Can damage be reversed?

[jenny25]

If you have health problems from being overweight, by losing weight I know that these health problems can improve but can they actually go away? Like, if you have type 2 diabetes from being overweight, if you lose all the weight and live a healthier life will the damage you did to your body to become diabetic ever repair?

[brightstar]

I don't think you can stop becoming a diabetic once you become one. I think you can if you're pre-diabetic, but if you've got full blow type 2 diabetes and you need to take insulin shots and stuff, I don't think losing weight is going to reverse the condition. I mean it might certain help improve it, but actually curing you...doubtful.

[tara]

I don't think so. I mean, you could definitely be healthier and make your diabetes less complicated, but once you mess up your internal functions to the point that they no longer work as they should, I don't think you can ever have them repaired again. Once the damage is done, ti's done. It's different if you are pre-diabetic, but actually having full out type 2 diabetes and you need to take insulin, I don't think you can fix that. Still, I get why you would ask, I mean, type 2 diabetes isn't the same as type 1 after all. Still, I think once you've got it, it's there for life.

[jenny25]

Oh okay. I don't know why I thought that for whatever reason it was possible to not be diabetic anymore. I know that's certainly not the case with type 1 diabetes, because that's a different form of diabetes, but I really thought that it was possible to really improve type 2 or even just not be diabetic anymore if you altered your diet.

[kellykatt]

Oh okay. I don't know why I thought that for whatever reason it was possible to not be diabetic anymore. I know that's certainly not the case with type 1 diabetes, because that's a different form of diabetes, but I really thought that it was possible to really improve type 2 or even just not be diabetic anymore if you altered your diet.

Actually, in some cases you can kind of reverse it. It depends on certain factors like how long you've had the condition, the changes you make and your genes. Also, some people are able to go off medications if they manage their condition through the proper diet and exercise. That said, keep in mind that once you have the disease it's there always. So, even if you do manage to stick to a diet and exercise that means you don't have to take medications, you MUST maintain this diet and exercise or your condition will worsen. It's not like you can turn back the hands of time or anything.

[ChristySmiles]

Damage can't be reversed. You can prevent things, but once damage is done to you body, in a lot of cases its permanent.

[jenny25]

Damage can't be reversed. You can prevent things, but once damage is done to you body, in a lot of cases its permanent.

I actually looked into it a little more, since everyone was pretty sure it couldn't be reversed and what I found out what that in most cases once you have it, you have it, but sometimes people can virtually reverse the condition, especially if they've only had it for a couple of years and have managed to lose weight, keep if off and control their diet. It seems like the longer you have the condition, the harder it is to actually reverse it. Mostly, though, it seems that by losing weight and eating better, the best you can do is lower a lot of the symptoms, which is also good news. Oh, and I also read that bariatric surgery can also reverse the condition for an extended period of time.

[Kyra]

I actually looked into it a little more, since everyone was pretty sure it couldn't be reversed and what I found out what that in most cases once you have it, you have it, but sometimes people can virtually reverse the condition, especially if they've only had it for a couple of years and have managed to lose weight, keep if off and control their diet. It seems like the longer you have the condition, the harder it is to actually reverse it. Mostly, though, it seems that by losing weight and eating better, the best you can do is lower a lot of the symptoms, which is also good news. Oh, and I also read that bariatric surgery can also reverse the condition for an extended period of time.

I didn't know that this was even possible! Thanks for asking and then looking further into your own question Jenny25. I really thought that once you had the condition you had it for life. Do you know if by improving the condition does this mean that you don't have to take the insulin shots any more? I mean, I imagine you'll always have to monitor your condition, but there's a big difference between monitoring and actually having to take shots daily.