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Where Do We Go from Here?

If you are at risk for type 2 diabetes, take heart! Lifestyle changes in diet and exercise, plus losing just a little weight, can prevent or delay the onset of the disease. This fact is true for people of all ages and ethnicities.

According to Harvard University, the best ways to lower your risk of developing diabetes are to control your weight, exercise, and eat healthy foods. Losing seven to ten percent of your body fat can decrease your chances of getting diabetes by 50 percent, and walking for a half hour every day cuts your likelihood of developing diabetes by 30 percent. Clearly, management of type 2 diabetes requires weight reduction (to a BMI ≤ 25) and exercise, exercise, exercise! How can these factors impact blood sugar? Exercise helps manage diabetes by lowering blood-sugar levels (when you exercise, more glucose needs to be burned for energy). Exercise

Research Project Think about your family’s medical background. Are there certain diseases or conditions, such as diabetes or heart disease, which seem to run in your family? Talk to your parents to see if there

are any that you did not know about. Then go online to find out more about these medical conditions. Create a chart that lists what doctors believe causes each condition. How many are connected with overweight or obesity, and is there anything you can do to lower your risks of devel- oping these conditions?

40 / Health Issues Caused by Obesity