For centuries, fatter and more sedentary people have been considered more likely to get diabetes. More recently, many studies have established that obesity and physical inactivity are risk factors for type 2 diabetes mellitus and that weight loss and exercise improve insulin sensitivity and insulin secretion in the short term.

Investigators found that diet and exercise counseling resulted in a 58% reduction in diabetes risk among people who are prime candidates for developing the condition, which is associated with obesity and sedentary lifestyle.

The more lifestyle changes people make, the better. But achieving at least some changes is better than not trying at all. For example, weight loss does not appear to be an absolutely essential part of the equation.

Although even modest weight loss conferred a much lower risk of diabetes, those who participated in four hours of exercise per week -- even if they did not achieve their weight loss goal -- had a reduction in diabetes risk.

After 3 years, a total of 3% of persons per year in the intervention group 6% of people per year in the control group developed diabetes -- a risk reduction of 58% for those in the treatment group.

Changing eating habits and increasing exercise may be daunting, but the study shows that even modest alterations in lifestyle have a clear benefit.

It is commonly argued that it is difficult to change the lifestyle of obese and sedentary people, but such pessimism may not be justified.

Although the average weight loss in response to the intervention was small (about 10 pounds), the effect of these changes in lifestyle on the incidence of diabetes was substantial. The researchers found a lower incidence of diabetes among persons who achieved more of the goals for changes in lifestyle, regardless of the group to which they had been assigned.

The reasonably low dropout rate in the study also indicates that subjects with impaired glucose tolerance are willing and able to participate in a demanding intervention program if it is made available to them.

Type 2 diabetes occurs when the body loses its sensitivity to insulin, the blood sugar-regulating hormone. When this occurs, blood sugar, or glucose, rises to levels that can, over time

• increase a person's risk of developing heart disease,
• kidney failure,
• nerve damage
• and blindness.
  

More than 14 million Americans are estimated to have the disease and one third of these cases are believed to be undiagnosed, according to the American Diabetes Association.

The New England Journal of Medicine May 3,2001; 344: 1343-1350, 1390-1392

Dr. Mercola's Comments:

Well folks, here we have it, published in NEJM, so, if you are in the conventional paradigm, it must be true. The top medical journal has now proclaimed that in fact you can "cure" type 2 diabetes with diet and exercise. Here is what the subjects in the intervention group did to improve their diabetes: They met with a nutritionist seven times during the first year and every three months thereafter. Goals for changes were established in five categories: A reduction in weight (by 5 percent or more) A reduction in fat intake (to less than 30 percent of energy intake) A reduction in saturated fat intake (to less than 10 percent of energy intake) An increase in fiber intake (to at least 15 g per 1,000 kcal) An increase in exercise (to at least 30 minutes per day) The above modifications were able to reduce the rate of diabetes by nearly 60 percent and they did that without even understanding some of the most basic foundational truths of food choices. These investigators were absolutely clueless with respect to the influence of grain and sugar restriction on insulin optimization. So, if the traditionally recommended low-fat diet can reduce diabetes by 60 percent, if you use the food choices I recommend you can reduce type 2 diabetes by well over 95 percent. Exercise is unquestionably also a big key here. Considering that there are 15 million diabetics in the United States, and the epidemic is continuing to increase in this country and worldwide (affected about 6 percent of persons in developed countries in 1995), this is important information. Folks, believe me, you do not want to mess with diabetes. It is a nasty illness that will gradually suck the life out of you and contribute to a miserable existence. Related Articles: Exercise Reduces Diabetes by Reducing Insulin Regular exercise protects women from diabetes Eating Vegetables May Cut Diabetes Risk Diabetes Rates Soaring and Occurring at a Younger Age Diabetes Epidemic -- - 70 percent Increase Among People Ag