Issue 118 Item 1 Diabetics & PreDiabetics Need More Exercise!

Many adults with Type 2 diabetes don’t exercise regularly or follow a healthy diet, according to the latest diabetes research. Regular exercise can reduce or prevent complications by 60%. Researchers VA Puget Sound Health Care System in Seattle presented their findings at the American Diabetes Association’s 62nd Scientific Sessions. They studied data from 1 480 adults with type 2 diabetes who were involved in a national health and nutrition survey.

They found that 31% of respondents did not exercise regularly and more than 60% reported eating fewer than five daily servings of fruits and vegetables. Fat intake was also high – nearly seven out of every ten individuals said that more than 30% of their daily calories were from fat.

Changing lifestyle to promote health
According to the researchers, lifestyle plays an important role in the control of diabetes. They recommend that people seek their doctor’s approval before they embark on an exercise program. A healthy diet will not only help people control their diabetes but it will also improve their general health.

What the subjects in the intervention group did to improve their diabetes:

They met with a nutritionist seven times during the first year and every three months thereafter. Goals for changes were established in five categories:

a reduction in weight (by 5 percent or more)

a reduction in fat intake (to less than 30 percent of energy intake)

a reduction in saturated fat intake (to less than 10 percent of energy intake)

an increase in fiber intake (to at least 15 g per 1000 kcal)

an increase in exercise (to at least 30 minutes per day)

The above modifications were able to reduce the rate of diabetes by nearly 60% and they did that without even understanding some of the most basic foundational truths of food choices. The New England Journal of Medicine May 3,2001; 344: 1343-1350, 1390-1392