CUT your diabetes risk

Simple and effective strategies for everyday health

Around one million Australians have been diagnosed with diabetes, a condition where the body can’t maintain healthy levels of glucose in the blood. This can lead to eye, heart, limb and organ damage. It’s growing faster than any other chronic condition, but if you’re at risk for type 2 diabetes (which accounts for 85 per cent of all diagnoses), ‘There’s very good evidence that you can reduce or prevent the risk of progression with the right lifestyle choices,’ says Greg Johnson, CEO of Diabetes Australia.

WHAT IS DIABETES?

There are three main types: TYPE 1 An autoimmune disease that attacks cells in the pancreas where insulin is produced. There’s no cure and it’s usually managed with insulin injections.

TYPE 2 A progressive condition where the body becomes resistant to insulin. It’s associated with obesity, being sedentary and genetics. The prevalence of diabetes is three times higher in Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islander people.

GESTATIONAL This occurs during pregnancy and usually goes away after the baby is born.

WHAT YOU CAN DO?

LOOK FOR EARLY WARNING SIGNS Although type 2 is often silent, author of Type 2 Diabetes for Dummies, Professor Lesley Campbell, says symptoms can include fatigue, frequent urination and thirst, blurred vision, slow healing of infections, and numbness in the feet or legs. ‘If you experience two or more of these symptoms, check with your doctor,’ she says.

GET CHECKED REGULARLY BY YOUR GP ‘It’s critical not to wait for symptoms of type 2 but to have regular checks and talk to your GP about your risk,’ says Greg.

DROP A FEW KILOS Aim to lose five to seven per cent of your body weight. ‘It doesn’t need to be a massive weight loss – that reduction is a very powerful tool to help delay or prevent the progression from pre-diabetes,’ says Greg. So, if you weigh100 kilograms, that means losing 5kg.

BE MINDFUL ABOUT WHAT YOU EAT Eat healthy portion sizes to control weight gain, consider the carbohydrates you eat. Have a moderate amount and spread them out across your meals. ‘The best carb choices are those that are highest in fibre and lowest in fat,’ says Lesley. ‘Studies have shown that these can lower blood glucose and cholesterol levels.’ This means less sugary foods, more brown rice and pasta, grainy bread, and legumes.

WALK FOR 30 MINUTES EVERY DAY A large study by the National Institutes of Health found, in people with pre-diabetes, lifestyle changes that included 150 minutes a week of moderate-intensity exercise reduced the risk of progression to full-blown type 2 diabetes by up to 58 per cent.