The epidemic doctors now refer to as Diabesity is a condition where obesity is the precursor leading to the full blown development of diabetes. An Australian surgeon wrote a cause and effect piece to potentially nip this growing problem in the bud.

The call to action in this article is quite simple: eat less and walk more. Could such a simple suggestion really curtail an epidemic that is poised to become the biggest health threat in Asia within the next decade? This is not a trick. It's actually quite simple. Don't believe the hype? Probably much easier said than done -- but here's an evolutionary explanation that might inspire you to make this work.

Since the beginning of time, human beings were meant to use up the calories they consume in their food by their daily physical activities. Our ancestors started out living in caves, eating the roots and vegetables they gathered and the flesh that they hunted. These days we live in houses, and consume more than we need to sustain homeostasis and beyond. We walk very little and we all put on weight as we get older, especially around our waists. As we continue on this path of least resistance, and most convenience -- diabesity is becoming a mainstay in our lives. If eating healthy and walking more became an easy and convenient option for everybody -- could this be an automatic resolution to an unforgiving problem?

Central obesity is associated with insulin resistance through factors that are not fully understood. Researchers studied the effects of three different diets on body fat distribution, insulin sensitivity and peripheral adiponectin gene expression.

Adiponectin is secreted from fat tissue into the blood. The presence of adiponectin can result in improved insulin sensitivity and glucose tolerance, and can assist in mobilizing sugar out of the blood The hormone plays a role in the suppression of the metabolic derangements that may result in type 2 diabetes, obesity, atherosclerosis and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

The study involved 11 volunteers who were the offspring of obese type 2 diabetic patients with noticeable abdominal fat deposits. The volunteers were considered insulin resistant and they maintained average hemoglobin A1c levels of greater than 6.5% without medication. All subjects underwent three dietary periods of 28 days each in a crossover design: a) diet enriched in saturated fat (SAT), b) diet rich in monounsaturated fat (MUFA; Mediterranean diet) and c) diet rich in carbohydrates (CHO). Weight, body composition and resting energy expenditure remained unchanged during the three dietary periods. However, when patients were fed a CHO-enriched diet their fat mass was redistributed towards their abdominal region and their periphery fat accumulation decreased compared with a diet MUFA-rich and high SAT diets. Changes in fat deposition were associated with decreased levels of adiponectin after meals and lower insulin sensitivity.

The results of this study conclude a diet rich in monounsaturated fat prevents central fat redistribution and a decrease in after meal adiponectin levels. These findings support the belief that a carbohydrate-rich diet in insulin-resistant subjects exacerbates the insulin resistance. The moral of the story is: to enhance insulin sensitivity - look for a diet rich in monounsaturated fats and less dense in carbohydrates. Chances are if you've tinkered around with your food pyramid - you already knew the results of this study.