More than 30 million people in the United States have diabetes, and 1 in 4 of them dont know they have it. Another 84 million adults in the U.S. have prediabetes, a health condition in which blood sugar levels are higher than normal, but not high enough for a diagnosis of type 2 diabetes.
Why is prediabetes a concern? A person with prediabetes is at high risk of type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and stroke. Being overweight, age 45 and older, and minimal levels of physical activity (less than 3 times per week) are risk factors for prediabetes and type 2 diabetes. Other risk factors include family member, such as a parent or sibling, who has type 2 diabetes, along with if you had gestational diabetes when pregnant, or being African American, Hispanic or Latino, American Indian, Alaska Native, Pacific Islander, or Asian American.
Some risk factors for type 2 diabetes cant be changed, such as your age and family history. Being overweight, eating unhealthy food, physical inactivity, and smoking are risk factors you can change and bring about big improvement.
Managing your weight, it doesnt take a major weight loss to make a difference. Losing just 5 to 7 percent of your body weight can make the difference. Focusing not only on what the scale says, but also your activity level and food choices, will reinforce your efforts and help you stick with your healthy changes.
Make physical activity a priority and work to increase your active time while decreasing your sedentary or sitting time. Aim for at least 2½ hours of moderately intense physical activity each week. If you havent been physically active, start small and build in changes as your body becomes used to more movement.
Think about ways that you like to be active. Is walking the dog your thing? Is your bicycle waiting for you to come back? Park away from the door or farther away in a parking lot. Maybe tracking your movement helps keep you going or find an exercise buddy and support each other when the going gets a little tough.
Eat healthier. There are many ways that most people can improve their diets. Consider how you eat now and where changes could happen. Sometimes it is habits or routines that keep you from making healthier choices. You may be making healthy food choices, but simply eating too much. Tracking your actions could be helpful, keep a food diary to note what, where, when, and how much you eat.
If you smoke, quitting is the biggest step toward good health you can make. What reasons do you have for quitting? Make a list and let those reasons motivate you. Talk with your doctor about a plan that could work for you. For free help with quitting, call 1-800-QUIT NOW (1-800-784-8669), visit http://cdc.gov/tips; you can also visit KanQuit, http://www.kanquit.org/.
Remember, prediabetes is reality for 1 in 3 U.S. adults. It could be you. Take the steps now to move away from prediabetes.
