The Role of Insulin in Weight Gain

Insulin is a hormone that makes it possible for your body to use food for energy. It is a naturally occurring hormone produced by your pancreas, which is an organ located in your abdomen. 

You probably know that insulin plays an important part in the development — and sometimes the treatment — of diabetes. Diabetes can occur when your pancreas doesn’t produce enough insulin, or if your body can’t use insulin properly. 

And some people with diabetes inject themselves with insulin as a treatment for their diabetes.

Whether or not you have diabetes, insulin can play a role in weight gain. Anyone who’s concerned about their weight should understand how insulin can affect weight gain, so our providers at Peachtree Surgical & Bariatrics in Atlanta, Georgia, would like to explain it.

Insulin and blood sugar

When you eat food, your body breaks that food down into components that it can use. One of those components is glucose (sugar). 

As your body digests food, glucose enters your blood. Your pancreas responds to that rise in blood glucose (blood sugar) by releasing insulin. The insulin helps move glucose from your blood to various cells that use the glucose for energy.

If this process doesn’t work correctly, too much glucose remains in your blood. When blood glucose is consistently high, you’re diagnosed with diabetes.

Impact of insulin

Some people develop a condition known as insulin resistance. This occurs when your pancreas produces enough insulin, but your body becomes resistant to insulin’s action. As a result, your blood sugar remains elevated, and you may develop diabetes.

Insulin resistance can also lead to weight gain. When your body doesn’t use insulin properly, it is less able to use the glucose in food as it should. Then, your body stores excess glucose in the form of body fat.

Insulin therapy for diabetes can also lead to excess weight gain, especially if you eat more calories than you need. Your cells use the glucose they require, but whatever they don’t need is stored as fat.

Helping you manage weight gain and obesity

Whether you take insulin for diabetes or have insulin resistance, you can counter the negative effects of insulin by eating the right amount of food, exercising, and losing weight.

Weight loss can have a major impact on the action of insulin. In some cases, it can reverse insulin resistance. It can also reduce or even eliminate the need for insulin and other diabetes therapies. 

Whatever has contributed to your weight gain, our care providers here at Peachtree Surgical & Bariatrics can help you manage it. 

We offer a range of treatment options and weight management support, including various types of weight loss surgery and revision surgery, as well as medical weight loss programs, nutritional counseling, and behavioral support.

To schedule a consultation with one of our bariatric specialists, contact us today to request an appointment at our Atlanta, Georgia, office.