AG Scientific: A Leader in Diabetes and Obesity Reagents
Diabetes, often referred to by doctors as diabetes mellitus, describes a group of metabolic diseases in which the person has abnormally high blood glucose (blood sugar), either because insulin production is inadequate, or because the body's cells do not respond properly to insulin, or both. Patients with high blood sugar will typically experience frequent urination (polyuria), they will become increasingly thirsty (polydipsia) and hungry (polyphagia).
Obesity means having too much body fat. People commonly measured obesity with body mass index (BMI), a person’s weight (kg) divided by the square of the person’s height (m2). Generally, a BMI of 30 or higher is considered obese. It is not the same as being overweight (BMI: 25-30 kg/m2), which means weighing too much. A person may be overweight from extra muscle, bone, or water, as well as from having too much fat. Both terms mean that a person's weight is higher than what is thought to be healthy for his or her height.