AMA: Healthier Lifestyle Lowers Risk for Diabetes

Nov. 2, 2009 -- CHICAGO – November is National Diabetes Awareness Month, and to mark its start the American Medical Association (AMA) is offering the public easy tips to reduce the risk for type 2 diabetes.

“Diabetes is a serious disease, but it can be controlled and often prevented by maintaining a healthy lifestyle,” said AMA Board Member David O. Barbe, MD. “Eating right, exercising regularly and maintaining a healthy weight all greatly reduce the risk for type 2 diabetes.”

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The AMA Healthier Life Steps™ program can help jumpstart a healthier lifestyle and keep people motivated to continue making good health decisions. The program includes action plans and tip sheets on how people can improve diet, increase physical activity and eliminate unhealthy behaviors like risky drinking and smoking.

A few tips anyone can fit easily into their daily lives to begin living healthier and lower the risk for diabetes include:

* Pack a healthy lunch at home instead of eating out.
* To prevent overeating at a restaurant, ask for a box and wrap up half your entrée to take home right when it’s served.
* Park at the furthest spot in a parking lot and walk to the door.
* At the end of a long day, go out for a walk. It’s a great way to unwind and get exercise too.

For those who already have diabetes, the AMA has partnered with the National Diabetes Education Program (NDEP)External Link to offer resources on managing this disease. The NDEP site includes healthy recipes and information for families, kids, teens, older adults, and communities on how to help manage diabetes. NDEP also has resources for health care professionals like fact sheets, research articles and presentations.

“Nearly 24 million Americans have diabetes and treatment of this disease costs our health care system $174 billion a year,” said Dr. Barbe. “By adopting a healthier lifestyle you can lower your risk for diabetes and help lower the cost of medical care.”

Source: AMA