Women and diabetes
“It’s really important that we look at diabetes as a serious condition, and even more so in the context of mental health.”
It might surprise you to learn that 1 in 10 women are currently living with diabetes, and that by 2040, 313 million women will have the condition. It’s really important that we look at diabetes as a serious condition, and even more so in the context of mental health.
In the UK, diabetes affects 7.4% of the population, but this increases to 15% for those with a serious mental health problem. We work in the dietetics team at West London Mental Health NHS Trust, where diabetes is a major concern for our service users. Many of them experience side-effects such as increased appetite and weight gain from taking medication.
When it comes to Type 1 diabetes, those born with the autoimmune disease, women are also at increased risk of both physical and mental health side effects; 60% will go on to experience an eating disorder related to diabetes by the time they are 25.
Our female in-patients are sometimes classed as more obese than their male counterparts because they have a greater percentage of body fat — especially in the centre of the body — which is a risk factor for the development of diabetes. Women tend to require fewer calories than men (due to smaller frames and muscle size) therefore need to obtain all the nutrients they require for health within less food. Our dietetics team is trying hard to ensure that food consumed by our diabetic female service users is nutritious and offers a range of vitamins and minerals to sustain them.
For example, we’ve adapted our menus to ensure there are healthy options which cater for those with diabetes. These are developed by fully-qualified and experienced dietitians, and our chefs work closely with service users to make sure we have healthy variations of what people like to eat while they are under our care.
A specialist dietitian is also assigned to a service user living with mental health issues and experiencing the symptoms of diabetes.
We work together to construct an individual plan to return blood glucose levels to normal, optimise nutritional health and lifestyle through education, trying new foods/meals and gaining an understanding of emotions around food to manage diabetes and reduce the risk of serious health consequences.
However, some women may find that hormonal changes affect appetite, and we normally advise they keep a food and mood diary to spot times when they wish to eat more. For example, emotional eating can contribute to increased weight and the development or worsening of diabetes. This is where dietitians can really support women to cope.
It’s also good to plan ahead, keep healthy snacks for times of increased temptation and a list of non-food activities and rewards can also be effective.
Some medications also cause rapid weight gain and might make it difficult to find clothes that fit and make women feel confident. However, regular physical activity will be helpful to keep muscle mass, improve posture, enhance calorie burning and keep your mood elevated. And if you’re ever out having a coffee with your friends, it might be good to aim for a medium-sized drink with or without milk and a plain biscuit rather than cake.
Sometimes, small changes have the biggest overall impact.
Women living with diabetes can effectively manage it, and with support of dietitians and other health care professionals, can effectively set their own health goals for positive outcomes.
Co-written by Alison Sullivan and Kelly Scanlon (left)
Alison Sullivan, Head of Nutrition and Dietetics at West London Mental Health NHS Trust, leads registered dietitians in mental health dietetics to optimise the nutritional health and well-being of service users. She has previous experience in acute, community and sports dietetics, and particular expertise in eating disorders and the prevention and management of obesity.
Kelly Scanlon (left) is a specialist mental health dietitian at West London Mental Health NHS Trust. She is originally from the USA where she completed her degree in Nutrition and her dietetic internship through Napa State Hospital, a psychiatric hospital in Napa Valley California. She enjoys traveling and working abroad which eventually brought her to London. Her favourite activities include running races, walking her dog at the park, healthy meal prep, and trying new foods from around the world.
