Health & Fitness
How Lifestyle Can Affect Your Risk of Diabetes
Diabetes is a growing problem in America. Knowing the risk factors for type 2 diabetes may help individuals delay or prevent the disease. These tips can help.
By Rhonda Meyer, FNP, FamilyHealth Medical Clinic in Lakeville
Diabetes is a growing problem in America. An estimated 25.8 million people – more than 8% of the population – have diabetes.* Knowing the risk factors for type 2 diabetes, a condition in which the body does not produce or properly use insulin, a hormone needed to convert food into energy necessary for daily life, may help individuals delay or prevent the disease. In fact, many lifestyle choices can reduce one’s chance of developing type 2 diabetes, according to a recent study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine.**
The study showed that each of the following behaviors was associated with a 31% lower risk for diabetes in men and 39% lower risk for women.
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•Not smoking
•Engaging in regular physical activity
•Consuming a healthy diet
•Using alcohol in moderation
•Having optimal body weight
Of these lifestyle factors, obesity had the strongest association with diabetes. In addition, smoking hampers the body’s ability to utilize insulin and affects the cells of the pancreas that produce insulin.
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Family history also has a strong bearing on a person’s chance of developing diabetes, but the study showed that these lifestyle behaviors affected one’s risk of diabetes regardless of his or her family history of the disease.
Consider the following tips to help control your risk for diabetes:
1.Exercise and eat right.
2.Lose weight. Reducing your weight by 5% to 10%, in combination with eating right and exercising, may help you impede or avoid diabetes altogether.
3.Control blood pressure. Experts recommend taking whatever steps are necessary to reach a blood pressure reading of 130/80 or below. Diabetes is alsoa a leading risk factor for cardiovascular disease.
4.Quit smoking. Kicking the habit can improve your body's ability to use insulin properly, while reducing your risk for respiratory conditions, cancer and cardiovascular disease.
5.Talk to your doctor. Discuss your risk factors for diabetes and whether you should be tested. Your physician can help you decide what lifestyle changes may be right for you.
* Source: National Diabetes Fact Sheet, 2011, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
** Source: Annals of Internal Medicine, Sept. 6, 2011.
