As far as diabetes goes, times have really changed. It used to be that you were at risk for the disease during two distinct periods of life: childhood for type 1 (an autoimmune condition), after 45 for type 2. But that's not the case anymore
Teens, and sometimes preteens, are being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes—the more common form in which your body doesn't respond to insulin or doesn't produce enough—and there's a huge upsurge in type 2 cases among people in their 20s and 30s. Basically, every member of the family needs to be concerned about the risk.
In fact, according to the latest numbers, a whopping 8% of the population has diabetes, an increase of 1.6 million since 2006. And experts estimate that 1 out of every 3 children born today will develop the condition. "We are in dire need of stopping this increase because nearly every piece of your body is damaged by diabetes—the blood vessels, the heart, the skin, the nervous system, the GI tract, the kidneys, the eyes and the brain," says Francine R. Kaufman, MD, head of the Center for Diabetes at Childrens Hospital Los Angeles, and chair of the National Diabetes Education Program.
Indeed, research shows that poorly controlled diabetes raises the risk of many serious conditions including heart disease, stroke, depression and even some cancers. It's also the leading cause of kidney failure and adult blindness, notes Ann Albright, PhD, RD, director of the division of diabetes translation at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and president of health care and education at the American Diabetes Association (ADA).
But you can avoid this looming health risk. Experts say that simple lifestyle changes can make a huge difference in
whether you develop diabetes or not. Exercising and eating well, which helps you lose a small amount of weight, can lower your risk by 58%. "Type 2 diabetes is almost totally preventable by a healthy lifestyle," says Robert A. Rizza, MD, past president of the ADA and a professor of medicine at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. "If you stay lean and fit, you reduce your chances of developing type 2 diabetes by 90%." Even if you've been diagnosed with diabetes, research shows that improving diet and exercise can help prevent complications, lower the dosage of drugs or even eliminate the need for them altogether.
Your Diabetes Prevention Plan
Know what the right-size portions look like Almost any restaurant or takeout dish is double or triple what you should be eating in one meal. And we do so much buying in bulk that every now and then we need a refresher on what one serving really looks like. A quick guide: One serving of meat, chicken or fish is the size of your palm; of rice and pasta, about the size of a baseball; of oils and butter, about the tip of your thumb.
Eat "real" food Load up on what you find in nature: fruits, vegetables, nuts, legumes, whole grains, lean protein and lowfat dairy products. One study showed that for every additional two servings of whole grains women ate a day, their risk of developing type 2 diabetes went down 21%. Other research has found that middle-age women who ate the most dairy also had a 21% lower risk of developing diabetes than those who ate the least.
Don't drink your calories The sugar from juice and soda is so concentrated that it enters your bloodstream immediately and your body has to produce a quick burst of insulin to deal with it, explains Dr. Kaufman. If you prompt your body to do this frequently, it can lead to weight gain and increase your risk of becoming insulin-resistant (your body will start to need extra insulin, a hormone that maintains normal blood sugar levels in the body). This in turn may lead to diabetes. Cap the amount of juice everyone in the family drinks at no more than 1 cup daily; better yet, dilute it with water or club soda.
Take a 30-minute walk every day Besides helping you stay at a healthy weight, regular physical activity—such as walking, jogging, biking, swimming—helps your body use insulin better. And you can break it up into two or three sessions: One stud