Protect Yourself from Diabetes

By Dietitian, Juliette Kellow BSc RD

This month, a new study published online by the British Medical Journal reveals that making a few simple changes to your lifestyle is at least as effective as taking prescribed medicine to reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes.

Scientists from the University of Leicester trawled through 17 previously published trials to look at the effect different treatment programmes had on impaired glucose tolerance, a risk factor for type 2 diabetes. They found that interventions to help reduce obesity (a major risk factor for diabetes) and increase activity worked just as well as treating impaired glucose tolerance with medication.

WLR says:

This review is encouraging and highlights just how important it is to modify and change our lifestyles if we want to prevent illness in later life. Better still, changing our diets, losing weight and taking more exercise all come with fewer side effects than prescribed medicines.

Being overweight or obese is one of the biggest risk factors for diabetes. To reduce your risk, it’s essential to lose weight. According to Diabetes UK, a BMI of just 26 increases your risk of developing type 2 diabetes by 16, while a BMI of 33 means you are a massive 77 times more likely to get diabetes than someone whose weight is in the normal weight range.

Read how Weight Loss Resources' member, Jules reversed his diabetes

For anyone who already has diabetes and needs to shift a few pounds – or simply wants to lower their risk of getting diabetes – you might want to take a look at The Diabetes Weight Loss Diet (Kyle Cathie Ltd, £12.99) written by celebrity chef Antony Worrall Thompson, registered dietitian Azmina Govindji and food writer Jane Suthering. It’s packed with useful advice and plenty of delicious recipes to try out.