Slim, superfit man diagnosed with deadly 'fat person' condition - common late night habit was to blame
But the 66-year-old was shocked when medics warned him that his blood sugar were so high he was prediabetic.
The condition—suffered by millions unknowingly—is a precursor for potentially deadly type 2 diabetes and frequently linked to being overweight and obese.
Mr McKechnie, from Lytham St Annes, Lancashire, said he was floored by the diagnosis as he has prided himself on being active and was a svelte 11st 13lb.
'I was petrified at the idea that I might be starting to get poor health,' he said.
'Before I heard that I just thought everyone sometimes has a bit of high blood sugar.
'And before that, before the blood test, I honestly thought I was really fit and healthy.'
Mr McKechnie's condition was revealed during an NHS 'over 60s MOT' which discovered his average blood sugar levels were 44 mmol/mo—considered prediabetic, and just below the threshold for full blown diabetes.
Mr McKechnie, from Lytham St Annes, Lancashire, said he was floored by news he had prediabetes as he prided himself on being physically active
He now says he's changed both what and how he eats to bring his blood sugar levels under control and with great success
Any reading between 42 and 47 mmol/mo is considered prediabetic and above 48 mmol/mol is the diagnostic criteria for type 2 diabetes.
'When he (the GP) said it wouldn't be reversible over 48 (mmol/mo) I was terrified,' Mr McKechnie recalled.
The grandfather-of-four said he had wrongly assumed his active lifestyle meant he could eat whatever he wanted and admitted to tucking in to a Yorkie chocolate bar and packet of crisps each night.
He now says he's changed both what and how he eats to bring his blood sugar levels under control and with great success.
As well as cutting down on unhealthy snacks he also made effort to chew his meals slowly, which he says helps him feel fuller without eating as much.
He says it now takes him 40 minutes to eat his typical lunch of chicken sandwiches on wholemeal bread.
'I loved eating Yorkie bars and crisps, and ice cream. I just have a very occasional treat now, and much smaller,' he said.
In the nine months since making the changes his average blood sugar levels have dropped down to 41 mmol/mo meaning he is no longer considered prediabetic.
He also lost just under two stone, and trimmed two inches off his waist.
'I'm so relieved I had that test. It has changed my life and made me so much fitter,' he added.
Mr McKechnie said he originally had the blood test back in May 2023, but his GP only warned him of his prediabetes status a year later when looking over the results.
As such he's encouraging other Britons to consider getting a test.
'Even if you have to pay for it it's worth getting your blood sugar checked routinely. It's much much better to find out,' he said.
Mr McKechnie was lucky to be told he had prediabetes as the condition normally causes no symptoms, according to charity Diabetes UK.
If symptoms are present, they can include going to the toilet more often, fatigue, losing weight without trying, genital itching, minor cuts taking longer to heal, blurred vision and extreme thirst.
An estimated 6.3million Britons— about one eight of the population of England—are thought to have prediabetes with the vast majority unaware they have the condition.
While those most likely to develop the condition have known diabetes risk factors such as being overweight or older, younger and slimmer people can also have the condition.
Diabetes UK estimates that about half of cases of prediabetes can be prevented from developing into type 2 diabetes if patients make adjustments to their diet and lifestyle.
Diabetes is a potentially deadly illness which costs the NHS £10 billion a year to treat.
Type 2 diabetes occurs when the body doesn't make enough insulin or the insulin it makes doesn't work properly.
This hormone is needed to bring down blood sugar levels.
Having high blood sugar levels over time can cause heart attacks and strokes, as well as problems with the eyes, kidneys and feet.
Sufferers may need to overhaul their diet, take daily medication and have regular check-ups.
However, the term prediabetes isn't without controversy.
In fact, the inventor of the term Dr Richard Kahn, former chief scientific adviser to the American Diabetes Association recently claimed that doing so was 'a big mistake'.
Patients diagnosed as prediabetic have also given a mixed assessment of the term.
Earlier this year the Mail On Sunday reported how some patients said a diagnosis had 'saved' them while others said it had left 'frightened to death' about what they could eat.
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