Diabetes Prevention:  ACTION WEIGHT MANAGEMENT’S four tips for taking control
By Janice Sroka, NP

Type 2 diabetes is the most common type of diabetes.  PREVENTION is a big deal!  It is especially important to make diabetes prevention a priority if you are at increased risk for diabetes. Some factors that increase your risk are if you are overweight, have a family history of the disease, and / or have an increased waist circumference.

Diabetes prevention is as basic as eating more healthfully, becoming more physically active, and losing a few extra pounds.  Making a few simple changes in your lifestyle now may help you avoid the serious health complications of diabetes down the road, such as kidney, heart and nerve damage. Changing your lifestyle could be a huge step toward diabetes prevention ----- and it is NEVER too late to start.  Consider these tips.

Tip 1:  Lose extra weight
If you are overweight, diabetes prevention may hinge on weight loss.  Every pound you lose can improve your health, and you may be surprised by how much.  In one study, overweight adults reduced their diabetes risk by 16 percent for every kilogram (2.2 pounds) of weight lost.  Also, those who lost at least 5 - 10 percent of initial body weight, and exercised regularly reduced the risk of developing diabetes by almost 60 percent over three years!

Tip 2:  Skip fad diets and make healthier choices
Fad diets may help you lose weight at first, but their effectiveness at preventing diabetes is not known nor is their long-term effects.  And by excluding or strictly limiting a particular food group, you may be giving up essential nutrients.  Instead, think variety and portion control as part of an overall healthy eating plan.  Any diet you are on should provide for 100 percent of your long-term daily vitamin and mineral requirements.

Tip 3:  Get more physical activity
There are many benefits to regular physical activity.  Exercise can help you:

• Lose weight
• Lower your blood sugar
• Boost your sensitivity to insulin - which helps keep your blood sugar within a normal range

Tip 4:  Get plenty of fiber
It’s rough, it’s tough -- and it may help you:

• Reduce your risk of diabetes by improving your blood sugar control
• Lower your risk of heart disease
• Promote weight loss by helping you feel full

(To help with digestion, make sure you drink plenty of water, at least 8 glasses a day.)

These four tips are just some of the many components in Action Weight Management’s Program.  Please feel free to share your concerns about diabetes prevention with us.  Our staff will provide you with all necessary screening and metabolic testing to get you started.  We applaud your efforts to keep diabetes at bay.   

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