How to Prevent Diabetes

Diabetes is a condition to be avoided if at all possible. It can cause serious health problems like heart disease, strokes and blindness.

Some individuals may be at increased risk of developing diabetes.

You may be at risk if:-

•  You have a family history of diabetes
• You are overweight
• You are of Asian or African Carribean origin
• You have been diagnosed with impaired glucose tolerance
• You have had diabetes during pregnancy (gestational diabetes)

Research shows us that exercise and weight loss can reduce the chance of getting diabetes by half even if it runs in your family.

Losing weight

•  If you are overweight try to lose some weight
• A healthy waist measurement for women is less than 80cm (32”) and 94 cm (37”) for men. If your waist is much bigger than this remember any reduction is helpful.

 Keeping Fit

•  Keep active. Aim to do some activity for at least 30 mins a day 5 days a week.
• The activity should be enough to increase your breathing, your heart rate and warm you up but you should still be able to talk or sing whilst you work!
• Helpful exercise might be brisk walking, dancing or swimming. If you have an exercise bike or stepper set it up in front of the tv and exercise your way through your favourite soap opera.

Regular checkups

•  Diabetes can start silently, this means you may not have any symptoms at first.
• Your Gp or local pharmacy can arrange for you to have a blood test if you are worried.
• Some people do get symptoms. If you start to feel tired, thirsty, keep getting up at night to pass urine, or are having recurrent infections like thrush or cystitis speak to yur doctor about whether you may have diabetes.

Guidelines for eating a healthy diet

The diet for preventing diabetes is just healthy eating which is suitable for the whole family. For ideas on how to eat a healthy diet, refer to Eating for Health

Where can I get more advice?

• Your GP or practice nurse
• For diet and diabetes queries call our helpline on 01274 365884
• Local lifestyle classes – Ring healthwise on 01274 223923
• BEEP exercise referral scheme – ask at your GP surgery
• Diabetes uk is the charity providing support and advice about diabetes. You can telephone 0845 202960 OR write to Careline services, Diabetes UK, 10 Parkway, London, NW1 7AA OR look at their website www.diabetes.org.uk