Diabetes is a serious epidemic. About 21 million Americans have diabetes. That’s about 9% of all adults age 20 or older, or about 1 out of every 11 adults. It is projected that 1 in 3 babies born today can expect to develop diabetes in their lifetime.
There are 2 common forms of diabetes. Type 1 diabetes is caused by the body’s inability to produce insulin. Insulin helps regulates blood sugar levels. It is not known today how to prevent type 1 diabetes.
The most common form of diabetes (over 90% of cases) is type 2 diabetes. Type 2 diabetes is caused by a genetic weakness and the presence of lifestyle factors such as excess weight, inactivity, and poor diet. The body becomes resistant to insulin and blood sugar levels rise in the blood.
Over time, high blood glucose levels that are not well controlled cause serious damage to the eyes, kidneys, nerves, arteries, and heart. Most diabetics will die from heart disease or other complications from their diabetes.
The best strategy is to prevent diabetes from occurring, or at least to delay its development. In a16-year study of nearly 85,000 nurses, researchers from Harvard University found that those with no lifestyle risk factors for diabetes were only one-tenth as likely to develop diabetes as those with any lifestyle risk factors present.1
The NIH-sponsored Diabetes Prevention Program studied the effects of a healthy lifestyle on the development of type 2 diabetes among men and women at high risk of diabetes (i.e., overweight, inactive, and prediabetic). An experimental group was assigned to weight loss, exercise, and better diet. During the 3-year study, the experimental group developed 58% fewer cases of diabetes than a control group assigned to usual care.2
Both of these large studies provide strong evidence that diabetes is largely preventable.
What can you do?
According to the Harvard School of Public Health, you can take simple steps to lower your risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
- Achieve and maintain a healthy weight. Excess body weight is the major cause of type 2 diabetes. It increases the body’s resistance to insulin. If you lose excess weight, even 10-15 pounds, you can significantly cut your risk of diabetes. The Diabetes Prevention Program showed that losing only 5-7% of excess body weight significantly dropped the risk of type 2 diabetes.
- Get regular physical activity. Exercise helps the body use insulin more effectively. Thus exercise lowers insulin resistance and your risk of type 2 diabetes. Aim for 30-60 minutes of moderate activity such as brisk walking most days of the week, preferably daily.
- Avoid smoking. Smoking increases the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. In Harvard’s Health Professional Follow-up Study, men who smoked were 92% more likely to develop diabetes.3
- Choose healthy fats. Eating saturated (i.e., animal) fats and trans fats increases the risk for diabetes. Instead, choose healthy fats such as vegetable oils (e.g., canola, olive, and soy), trans-fat-free margarines, nuts, and trans-fat-free baked goods (read food labels).
- Choose unrefined carbohydrates that are high in fiber and have a low glycemic index (GI). Low GI foods are carbohydrates that are absorbed slowly, and therefore help keep blood sugar levels low. Examples of low GI foods include whole grains, most vegetables (except potatoes), most whole fruits, legumes, nuts, and milk or soymilk.
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