Preventing Type 2 Diabetes
posted by Caring.com, supporting caregivers Aug 6, 2011 4:06 pm
The best diabetes prevention step
You can help stave off the chronic condition of diabetes 2 by making healthy food choices, losing weight if necessary, and staying active.
People who are overweight or obese are at greater risk for type 2 diabetes. Carrying excess weight around the waist rather than the hips also increases the risk. Talk to the doctor about a healthy target weight and whether losing weight would help prevent type 2 diabetes.
Losing weight for diabetes prevention
There are essentially two components to losing weight: Eat less and move more.
- Eat right. Start by making smart choices on the food front. That means lots of vegetables and fruits, whole grains, and lean protein, and go easy on the fats and sweet treats. Losing weight with an eye toward diabetes prevention means not just taking in fewer calories, but making those calories count.
- Get active. Walking for as little as 30 minutes a day can lower the risk of getting type 2 diabetes. Physical activity increases the body’s ability to store and use glucose. It also helps keep the heart and blood vessels healthy and helps maintain a healthy weight.
Even modest weight loss — just 5 or 10 pounds — can dramatically lower a person’s chances of getting this lifelong disease, because extra weight makes it harder for the body to use insulin.
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