Diabetes is a critical health problem in the United States. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 30.3 million Americans are living with diabetes. Another 84.1 million have prediabetes, a condition that can lead to diabetes within five years if not treated. The CDC says, nine of 10 people who have prediabetes don’t know it. That’s a lot of people who could develop diabetes. The good news is that you can reduce your risk by adopting a healthy lifestyle.
What is type 2 diabetes?
Type 2 diabetes is the most common form of diabetes. It’s a lifelong disease that affects how your body handles glucose, the sugar your body uses for energy. When you have type 2 diabetes, your body doesn’t make enough of the hormone insulin or properly use insulin to convert glucose into energy for your cells. If not managed properly, type 2 diabetes can lead to serious health complications over time, including heart disease, kidney failure, stroke, blindness and amputation. Type 2 diabetes is caused by several factors, including genetics and lifestyle factors. Excess weight, especially extra belly fat, and inactivity are major contributing factors.
Who is at risk?
Type 2 diabetes most often develops in people over age 45, but more and more children and young adults are developing it. You’re most at risk if you are over 45 years old, overweight, and you don’t exercise. Having an immediate family member who has diabetes increases your risk. It’s also more prevalent in certain demographics, including African Americans and Hispanics. Many people have prediabetes but don’t know it. You can find out if you have prediabetes by taking a blood test to check your blood glucose level. If you’re overweight and have at least one other risk factor for diabetes, such as you’re over 45, you should ask your doctor about getting tested for prediabetes.
How to lower your risk?
If you have prediabetes or other risk factors for type 2 diabetes, you can lower your risk by making a commitment to adopt a healthier lifestyle. That means keeping off excess weight, eating healthy and increasing your physical activity. Losing a small amount of weight — usually 5 to 7 percent of body weight —will lower your risk for developing type 2 diabetes. This means losing 5 to 7 pounds for every 100 pounds you weigh. So if you weigh 200 pounds, losing 10-14 pounds lowers your risk significantly." You’ll also need to increase your physical activity. Doctors recommend at least 150 minutes a week of brisk activity, such as walking. That’s just 30 minutes a day. Exercise doesn’t have to be hard. You can get your recommended dose of physical activity by doing exercises you like such as dancing, swimming, or even gardening.
See if you are eligible for a free Diabetes Prevention Program
The Holy Cross Health Diabetes Prevention Program is recognized by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for meeting or exceeding quality benchmarks for a program to prevent or delay type 2 diabetes and improve the overall health and well-being of participants. This free, 12-month program is available for people over 18 years of age who have diabetes risk factors and have tested for prediabetes. To learn more about the program and find out how to register, visit holycrosshealth.org/diabetesprevention.
Holy Cross Health presents the information in this blog as a resource for our community. It is not intended to replace professional medical advice or to endorse any particular entity or service. Personal health problems should be brought to the attention of the appropriate health professionals.