In the tests, 0.15 units per kilogram of body weight produced the same response as 0.5 units of normal insulin.

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Early increased growth is associated with the body making more insulin, which is thought to increase the likelihood of an autoimmune response to pancreatic islet cells.

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In light of all this, they suggest that insulin resistance, like obesity, should be viewed not as a pathology but as an adaptive response by the body to an excess of circulating lipids.

ECONOMIST: Metabolic syndrome