Diabetes Prevention

Most people with type 2 diabetes are overweight. Excess abdominal weight does not stop insulin formation, but it does make the body less sensitive to insulin. Excess weight can even make healthy people prediabetic, though weight loss can reverse this problem. In most studies, type 2 diabetes has improved with weight loss.

Exercise helps decrease body fat and improve insulin sensitivity. People who exercise are less likely to develop type 2 diabetes than those who do not. However, exercise can induce low blood sugar in diabetics taking blood sugar–lowering medications, or even occasionally increased blood sugar.( Therefore, people with diabetes should never begin an intensive exercise program without consulting a healthcare professional.

Moderate alcohol drinking in healthy people improves glucose tolerance. However, alcohol has been reported to worsen glucose tolerance in the elderly and in people with diabetes in some studies. People with diabetes who drink have also been reported to have a high risk for eye and nerve damage. ...