| Take
Charge, Prevent Diabetes
By taking steps to prevent diabetes, you
can do a lot to improve your overall health. Diabetes risk
factors, such as lack of physical activity and obesity,
are associated with a number of other diseases that cause
disability and death in the African American community.
Losing Weight and Staying Active
Can Reduce Your Risk for
Type 2 Diabetes.
Take charge, prevent diabetes. A healthy
diet and regular physical activity can cut a person's risk
for developing type 2 diabetes by nearly 60%.
Know Your Risk
Do
you know if you are at risk for developing
type 2 diabetes? Knowing
your risk is the first step in developing a plan to prevent
or delay diabetes.
Talk to Your Doctor
If you are at risk for developing diabetes, you should
talk to your doctor. Your doctor can help you develop a
plan for preventing or delaying diabetes.
Lose Weight
The Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP) Clinical Trial conducted
by NIH provided the scientific evidence that the onset of
diabetes could be prevented or delayed in people at high
risk. How? By losing 5 to 7 percent of body weight and getting
30 minutes of physical activity such as brisk walking on
most days. The good news is that these lifestyle changes
worked for men and women, for people of every ethnic or
racial group who participated in the study, and it was especially
successful for people over age 60.
Be Active
A number of studies have shown
that regular physical activity can significantly reduce
the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. There are many options
for getting active. Walking, dancing, swimming, and jogging
are just a few.
Learn More
Sources: Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention Diabetes; National Diabetes Education Program
|
