Preventing Type 2 Diabetes

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.

Preventing Type 2 Diabetes originally appeared on Caring.com.

By Sarah Henry, Caring.com

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of
Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

Gary C.

8:05PM PST on Dec 14, 2011

Thankyou....

send a green star

Masha S.

5:42AM PST on Nov 27, 2011

thanks

Gita S.

10:47AM PDT on Nov 2, 2011

Thanks.

Tim C.

12:25PM PDT on Oct 2, 2011

12:24PM PDT on Oct 2, 2011

Brenda T.

2:21PM PDT on Sep 17, 2011

Thankyou.

Michele W.

2:11PM PDT on Sep 14, 2011

Thank you

Past Member .

4:02PM PDT on Sep 5, 2011

I am obese but still walk my dogs so maybe they will save me !!!

alicia m.

8:40AM PDT on Sep 5, 2011

please sign my diabetes related petition, gracias:

http://www.change.org/petitions/por-la-investigacin-de-la-diabetes-no-ms-recortes-no-more-diabetes-investigation-funds-cuts

Shawn P.

1:01PM PDT on Aug 22, 2011

Very short and concise, thanks!