Prevention Tips
What Can I Do to Change My Risk Factors?
The good news is you can reduce your risk of getting diabetes and may even be able to return to normal blood glucose (sugar) levels. With modest weight loss and moderate physical activity, you can delay or prevent type 2 diabetes. Here are some suggestions for taking action now to help defend yourself against developing diabetes:
Eat Healthy.
Eat 2 cups of fruit and 3 cups of vegetables every day.
Choose a nutritious variety of healthy foods in quantities that match your body's needs. Limit the amount of food you eat, especially foods that are high in fats and calories, such as desserts, gravies, and high-fat cheeses and dressings.
- Eat plenty of whole grains and high-fiber foods.
- Drink at least 60 ounces of water every day.
- Keep a food diary. Write down what you eat, how much you eat, and when you eat. Review this weekly and make changes that will improve your eating habits.
- Limit your fat intake to about 25 percent of your total calories
in a day.
Move More.
Take the stairs, walk to work, park farther away.
Exercise regularly. Being physically active for 30 minutes a day, 5 or more days a week has been shown to reduce the risk for type 2 diabetes. Here are some ways to increase activity:
- Park farther from the front door and walk in.
- Get off the bus a few stops early and walk the rest of the way.
- Walk or bicycle instead of driving your car whenever you can.
- Take the stairway for a few floors instead of riding the elevator all the way.
- Play ball with the kids.
- Go for a walk in the park.
- Walk the dog.
Know Your Numbers.
Routinely check your blood sugar, weight, cholesterol, body mass index (BMI), and blood pressure.
- Find out what your blood sugar, blood pressure, weight, body mass index (BMI), and cholesterol numbers are and what they should be.
- Take action now to get them to be what they should be.
- If you need to, lose weight. Do it by choosing healthy foods and by moving more. Losing as little as 7 percent of your current weight has been shown to lower blood sugar and blood pressure numbers. Be reasonable. Try to lose one pound a week for a good start.
- Aim to stay within the right number of calories for good health each day. By eating 500 calories a day less than your body needs, you can lose about one pound per week.
- Avoid crash diets. Instead, eat less of the foods you usually have, especially those that are high in calories, such as mayonnaise, butter, margarine, and desserts.
- Eat between five and nine servings from the fruit and vegetable category every day.
- When you reach your goal, reward yourself with a non-food item or activity. Go on a bike ride, a camping trip, or hike, or go to a movie with a favorite person.
Lifestyle Changes
Making big changes in your life may not always be easy. Try to choose one or two things that you can change and work on those. Once you have mastered them, choose something else you want to change. Stick to it until you reach all your health goals.
- Make a specific plan to change a behavior. Decide exactly what you will do and when you will do it. Plan what you need to get ready. Then do it! Take ActionNow!
- If you don’t succeed on your first few tries, try again. You may want to revise your plan or make a whole new plan. Think about what may be keeping you from reaching your goals. Work to remove the barriers. Then try again until you succeed!
- Never give up. You are worth the effort.
Talk With Your Doctor or Healthcare Provider
If you have any concerns about your health or how to make these lifestyle changes, talk with your doctor. She or he can give you advice or help you find the people who can work with you. By taking action now you can help make your future a healthier one.
Body Mass Index Calculator
The Body Mass Index (BMI) measures weight in relation to height. The BMI ranges shown below are for adults. They are not exact ranges of healthy and unhealthy weights.
However, it has been shown that health risk tends to increase at higher levels of overweight and obesity. Even within the healthy BMI range, weight gains can carry health risks for adults. The higher your BMI and waist measurement, and the more risk factors you have, the more you are likely to benefit from even small amounts of weight loss and exercise.
DIRECTIONS: Type your weight in pounds (lb) and your height in feet (ft) and inches (in). Click on the "Calculate" button to return Your BMI. Then compare it to the following weight ranges:
- Healthy Weight – BMI from 18.5 up to 25 refers to a healthy weight.
- Overweight – BMI from 25 up to 30 refers to overweight.
- Obese – BMI 30 or higher refers to obesity. Obese persons are also overweight.
To calculate a more exact BMI for adults on your own, use the following
formula:
Weight in pounds divided by Height in inches divided by Height in inches
multiplied
by 703 = BMI.
For example, a 6-foot tall person weighing 160 pounds would be 72 inches tall and have a BMI equal to 21.697.
BMI = 160 ÷ 72 ÷ 72 x 703 = 21.697.
Now try calculating your own BMI:
Sources: Report of the Advisory Committee on Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2000, page 3. Also may be found at health.gov/dietaryguidelines.
Keep Track of Your Weight
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