Keep physically active and follow a healthy diet if you want to reduce your risk of serious diseases, such as Type 2 diabetes. While the genes you inherited from your parents play a role in whether or not you develop diabetes, numerous studies over many years show that diet and lifestyle also play a big role in your odds of developing the disease.
Weight
Being overweight is "strongly linked" to Type 2 diabetes according to MayoClinic.com. Echoing that statement, a September 2001 study in "The New England Journal of Medicine" states that overweight or obesity was the "single most important predictor of diabetes" in a study of more than 84,000 women. A Japanese study found that people who lost weight over a four-year period were 67 percent less likely to develop diabetes than those who did not lose weight. The research, published in the January 2005 issue "Diabetes Research and Clinical Practice," also found that the more weight participants lost, the lower the incidence of diabetes.
Physical Activity
According to the American Heart Association, you need at least 30 minutes of physical activity every day to stay healthy, feel your best and reduce your risk of developing serious diseases. In a study published in the July 2000 "Archives of Internal Medicine," researchers found the risk for developing Type 2 diabetes decreased with increased physical activity in the 5,000 men participating in the study.
Alcohol Consumption
If you already follow a healthy diet and are physically active, moderate alcohol consumption lowers your risk of developing diabetes even more. A study published in the April 2010 "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition" found that those who drank moderate amounts of alcohol had a 40 percent lower risk of developing diabetes than participants who did not drink any alcohol. The study used amounts of alcohol recommended by the 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans of 12 oz. of beer, 5 oz. of wine or 1 1/2 oz. of distilled alcohol.
Combined Lifestyle Factors
The more healthy lifestyle factors you have, the lower your risk for diabetes. A German study looked at a number of different factors, including waist circumference, physical activity, smoking and consumption of red meat and whole grains. The researchers assigned scores based on all the factors and found that the 25,000 men and women in the study with better scores had lower risks of developing Type 2 diabetes. Those with the very best scores had a 0.3 percent risk of developing diabetes within a five-year period, while those with the worst scores had a 23 percent chance, according to the study published in the March 2007 issue of "Diabetes Care."
References
- U.S. Department of Agriculture; Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2010; 2010
- MayoClinic.com; Diabetes; March 2011
- "The New England Journal of Medicine"; Diet, Lifestyle, and the Risk of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus in Women; Frank B. Hu, et al.; September 2001
- "Diabetes Research and Clinical Practice"; Prevention of Type 2 Diabetes by Lifestyle Intervention: A Japanese Trial in IGT Males; K. Kosaka, et al.; February 2005
- American Heart Association; Physical Activity Improves Quality of Life; January 2011
- "Archives of Internal Medicine"; Physical Activity, Metabolic Factors, and the Incidence of Coronary Heart Disease and Type 2 Diabetes; S. Goya Wannamethee, et al.; July 2000
