Overweight and obese individuals with early stage type II diabetes (T2D) tend to have more severe and progressive abnormalities in brain structure and cognition than do normal-weight people

That's a bummer. :\ I'm sorry. I can offer some good safe non-medical advice that might (emphasis on might) help if you haven't already tried it. I hope you find it useful. If not, well, I tried.

  • Regular exercise. Find one that you enjoy, do it as regularly as you can. The benefits of exercise cannot be overstated. It may improve your sleep, your mood, and your energy and it will very likely improve your bloodwork (triglycerideds/HGA1C/BP). Generally, the best time to exercise is in the morning but doing it just before bed can help some people with sleep if they are prone to sleep problems.
  • Try to eat mainly fresh vegetables and fruits with good healthy protein (fish, white meat, legumes, nuts, eggs). Avoid processed/added sugar as much as you can. This might sound like fluff advice but it's not. What you eat can massively impact how you feel, including your mood.
  • Don't be on computer/phone/TV before bed if you can help it.
  • Don't keep bad foods in easily accessible places like at your desk or by your bed.
  • If you have a problem with trigger-foods, don't even buy them if you can help it. It's easier to say no in the grocery store.
  • If you haven't already, go to your doctor and get a full work up. You'll want lipids, HGA1C, and thyroid in the very least.
  • Don't be afraid to talk to someone. This is an often overlooked and underestimated option that can have a huge impact on your life.
  • Talk with your doctor about whether medication is right for you. This is extremely important. You may have clinical depression due to an inherent chemical imbalance or you may be depressed because you're struggling with your weight and have sleep apnea, both of which can cause depression/stress/anxiety.

I hope you find this helpful. If not, sorry for the unsolicited TL;DR. :P It's a topic that's close to my heart as I have struggled with it too my entire life. For some people, it's just not a problem but for some of us, it's a constant uphill battle that never really ends.

/r/science Thread Parent Link - link.springer.com