While there appears to be no way to prevent the onset of type 1 diabetes, there are many diet and lifestyle changes you can implement to ensure that neither you or your family are one of the many people who are being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.
Type 2 diabetes is the more prevalent form of diabetes nowadays. It is known to be linked with a personal genetic history of type 2 diabetes in your family. Combine this with obesity and lack of physical activity and you have what is now termed by many as “diabesity”.
Prevent Type 2 Diabetes:
More than in any other chronic health condition the cornerstone of preventing type 2 is to prevent obesity. So how is obesity measured? Being overweight is defined as a measurement between 25 and 29.9 on the BMI or body mass index, obesity… greater than 30. You arrive at this figure by dividing your weight (pounds) by your height (in inches squared) and then multiply this figure by 703. In kilograms you divide your weight by your height (meters) squared… just like this:
BMI example in pounds:
Weight = 160 pounds, Height 5ft or 60 inches
160 divided by (60inches x 60 inches), equals 160 divided by 360, equals 0.44 multiplied by 703 gives a BMI of just over 31 which means he or she is obese
BMI example in kilograms:
Weight = 75 kilograms, Height 1.5meters
75 divided by (1.5 x 1.5 meters), equals 75 divided by 2.25 which gives 33 which means he or she is also obese
Besides the BMI measurement, you can simply measure your waist:
- more than 37 inches (94 cm) for males
- more than 31 1/2 inches (80 cm) for females
These measurements are good estimates of obesity… at diagnosis of type 2 diabetes more than 80{15aeb35eec840799df247626cfa6821cb9499241e90aba7a245c8546144fd8f4} or people are obese.
Does Obesity or an Expanding Waistline Figure in Type 2 Diabetes:
It is really this basic, when you can avoid obesity, you can prevent the development of visceral fat cells, then you can prevent the development of insulin resistance, and then you can prevent type 2 diabetes developing. Insulin resistance is the forerunner to type 2.
How Does Insulin Resistance Increase Your Risk of Type 2 Diabetes?
Insulin resistance is marked by raised levels of insulin in your bloodstream… insulin is the hormone that allows glucose to enter your cells. Insulin resistance occurs when your cells no longer respond to normal levels of insulin. Your pancreas then secretes more and more insulin and as your insulin becomes less effective, your blood sugar levels start to rise. Insulin stimulates the creation of more body fat, specifically around your waist… the fat gain here worsens insulin resistance which then promotes a further rise in your blood sugar levels.
So the answer to preventing type 2 diabetes is to not put weight on around your waistline. This is the first sign of type 2 diabetes, not fatigue, not blurry vision, not passing urine more frequently… an increasing waistline. Stop it in it’s tracks and you will not have type 2 diabetes or any of the complications from high blood sugar levels.
