Reduce your risk of type 2 diabetes

How can we reduce the risk of diabetes?

The top five protective factors for preventing development of diabetes are:
1. Maintaining a healthy weight (BMI <25)
2. Diet high in fibre and “good” polyunsaturated fats, low in “bad” saturated and trans fats and low glycemic load.
3. Regular moderate to vigorous exercise for 30minutes or more per day
4. Non-smoking🚭
5. Low alcohol intake

Of these, the most important risk factor for developing diabetes is overweight and obesity.

📚🔬The Nurses’ health Study was a very large long-term study following 85000 women for 16years. It showed at over 9 / 10 cases of diabetes was attributed to one of these 5 risk factors.

🤷‍♀️So what? Making changes to your lifestyle to reduce or eliminate these risks factors can lower your risk of developing type 2 diabetes. 📉The fewer risk factors you have, the lower your risk. Managing all five of these might sound like a lot to ask, but even just one will help reduce your risk – so aim to make #1change to your lifestyle at a time because it really will make a difference.

📚📖Ref: Nurses’ health study. Hu FB et al. Diet, lifestyle, and the risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus in women. N Engl J Med. 2001.