You know you have a family history of diabetes, but you can't change your genes. So what can you do? Here are specific strategies to protect your health.
Your family has diabetes:
- Get checked. Get a glucose tolerance test every three years. If you have prediabetes, get screened annually.
- Watch your waist. People who carry excess fat around their middle are at greater risk for heart disease and diabetes. Losing just 5–7 percent of your body weight decreases your risk by more than 50 percent.
- Stay active. Research shows that 30 minutes of daily exercise can prevent type 2 diabetes in all populations.
- Cut out soda. A study in the Journal of the American Medical Association reports women who drink more than one sugar-sweetened soda a day up their risk of diabetes by 40 percent. (Drinking diet soda had no significant effect on risk.)
For more information on family history and your health, see:
Will You Inherit Your Family’s Health?
How to Record Your Family’s Health History
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