If you live in Mississippi, the odds are good that you have someone in your family with diabetes or know someone at church or work who is affected by this disease. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the number of people diagnosed with diabetes has gone up dramatically in the last ten years. Hopefully, this means we are diagnosing diabetes earlier and more people are getting treatment before diabetes can do as much damage to their bodies. Experts also point out that our lifestyles are putting us at risk for diabetes and more young people are developing this condition than ever before.
 
This week, I attended the American Diabetes Association meeting in Washington, D.C. to find out what researchers all over the world are learning about this complicated disease.
If you have family members with diabetes, there are many common sense steps you can take to prevent or delay a diagnosis of diabetes for yourself and your children.

• Have an annual physical and have your blood sugar, blood pressure and cholesterol checked. If your fasting blood sugar is between 100 and 125, you may have pre-diabetes. This is your chance to make some lifestyle changes.

• Get off the couch! Researchers have shown that just walking for 10 to 15 minutes, 2 or 3 times a day can lead to better fitness. Buy an inexpensive pedometer or step counter and work on increasing your daily step count. Walking is a great stress-reliever, and we know stress can make many health problems worse.

• Park farther from the store, take the stairs instead of the elevator, wash your own car, and take your dog for a stroll. Every little bit counts.

• Eat Breakfast. Successful weight watchers eat something in the morning and then eat on a fairly regular schedule through the day. Your body is more likely to let go of extra pounds when it gets small nutritious meals several times a day.

• Sometimes it’s not what you are eating, but how much. Portions are getting larger and just skipping the seconds or splitting a restaurant meal with someone can help. Studies show that people who eat while doing something else (watching TV or reading) tend to eat more calories without realizing it.

• Write it down. Find a friend who is interested in shedding a few pounds, too. Once a week, share your food and exercise diaries with each other. Those who lost weight and kept it off were good record keepers. Before you start, measure your waist. With every inch you lose around the middle, the risk of diabetes goes down.

If you are at risk for diabetes, even a 7% weight loss can prevent or delay diabetes. That means that a 200 pound person can lose just 15 pounds and see many health benefits. Try to make only one or two small changes at a time. Now is the time to take some positive steps and defeat diabetes.