Diet and exercise can help prevent diabetes

A new study supports the health community's view that diet and exercise can help ward off diabetes for those who are on the brink of developing the disease. Losing weight and controlling diet can help many people avoid diabetes for years, according to a Reuters report summarizing the study. (See also blog entry of October 1.) Researchers at the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Disease said the 10-year study of overweight people with elevated blood sugar found that those who lost a modest amount of weight lowered their risk of developing type 2 diabetes by at least a third. People over 60 showed even betterresults, cutting their risk of diabetes during the study period by almost 50 percent. The key now is to better educate the public about the risks of obesity and diabetes and to encourage prevention measures early, particularly in those people who have a genetic predisposition to the disease.