As a person living with diabetes, you may be concerned that others in your family will develop the disease. And if you have Type 2 diabetes, you may be especially concerned, because your family members’ lifestyle choices may be putting them at risk.

If this is the case, you may be interested in the results of the Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP). It shows that a healthy diet and exercise can not only help people who already have Type 2 diabetes manage it better, but can also help prevent diabetes in the first place.

The DPP was a study undertaken by the National Institutes of Health. It focused on people with “pre-diabetes”—those who have blood glucose levels higher than normal but not yet high enough to be classified as actual diabetes. These people are at high risk for developing Type 2 diabetes.

People who exercised at least 150 minutes each week (30 minutes a day for each of five days) and who lost at least 5-7 percent of their body weight lowered their chances of developing Type 2 diabetes by as much as 58 percent. Weight loss was important, because the participants in the study were generally above a healthy weight.

What is the metabolic syndrome?
The metabolic syndrome is also referred to as “syndrome X.” People have the metabolic syndrome when they have several disorders of the body's metabolism at the same time, such as hyperglycemia, insulin resistance, obesity, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol. It is serious, because its components can lead to complications that include hardening of the arteries and an increased risk for cardiovascular and kidney disease.

This condition is also often referred to as “insulin resistance syndrome,” because insulin resistance seems to be a common component. Pre-diabetes is the early stages of insulin resistance and may be considered a step toward potentially developing the metabolic syndrome.

Steps you can take to reduce the risk of developing the metabolic syndrome include:

• Lose weight: Obesity is a major contributor to the metabolic syndrome. Losing even 10 percent of your body weight and keeping it off can greatly improve your health.
• Become physically active: Exercise helps your body burn calories much more efficiently, improves circulation, lowers the “bad” cholesterol, increases the “good” cholesterol, and improves blood pressure.
• Lower blood pressure: Losing some weight and becoming more physically active can lower your blood pressure. You might also need medication to help prevent heart attacks, strokes and kidney damage.
• Lower “bad” cholesterol: A diet low in saturated fats and high in fiber can help normalize cholesterol levels. Exercise is also important.
• Stop smoking: The metabolic syndrome is greatly worsened by smoking. Quit!

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