Diabetes in America: A rising threat that can be managed

Up to one-third of US adults may end up with diabetes by the year 2050, if current rising trends continue, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). These numbers indicate the importance of educating the public on how lifestyle choices involving healthy eating and physical exercise must be more widely disseminated, says Ann Albright PhD, head of CDC’s Division of Diabetes Translation. Diabetes can be prevented or managed through diet and exercise, with or without medications.

Medline Vann, MPH, writing in Everyday Health, the health website, explains that certain simple lifestyle changes can help prevent diabetes. They include the following:

• Maintain or return to a healthy weight. If you drop 5-10 percent of your bodyweight, you can cut your risk of diabetes in  half.
• Eat a lot of fruits and vegetables
• Eliminate sugary drinks that elevate your blood sugar level
• Get moving and do some exercise
• Watch less TV. Watching TV for more than 20 hours per week adds to your risk of diabetes, probably because people who watch TV are not exercising and are likely to be snacking too much.

Sources: MedPageToday, Everyday Health