Globally, type 2 diabetes is becoming more common. Diabetes type 2 is a leading cause of blindness and vision loss, kidney failure necessitating dialysis, heart attacks, strokes, amputations, infections, and even premature death. More than 80% of individuals with prediabetes—high blood sugar combined with a high risk of developing full-blown diabetes—are unaware that they have the condition. Furthermore, one in four individuals with severe diabetes are unaware that they have the disease. According to research, leading a healthy lifestyle can both prevent and even reverse the onset of diabetes.
Can diabetes be avoided with a healthy diet and way of life?
The question of whether adopting a balanced diet and lifestyle can prevent type 2 diabetes was posed by the Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP), a big, long-term study. The answer is yes: 20 years of medical research have shown that dietary and lifestyle modifications can avoid the great majority of prediabetes and type 2 diabetes.
In order to determine whether anything could reduce a person’s chance of getting type 2 diabetes, researchers from the DPP either a 24-week diet and lifestyle intervention, a medicine (metformin), or a placebo (a fake pill). The goal of the very comprehensive diet and lifestyle intervention was to change participants’ daily habits. It included 16 classes that taught basic nutrition and behavioral strategies for physical activity and weight loss; lifestyle coaches who regularly interacted with participants; supervised physical activity sessions; and strong clinical support to reinforce an individualized plan.