Moderate Physical Activity and

Slight Weight Loss Can Prevent

the Development of Diabetes

The Diabetes Prevention Trial (DPT) research, announced in 2003, examined the impact of a change of lifestyle on volunteers at risk of developing Type 2 diabetes, the common "adult" diabetes. All the volunteers suffered from a condition called intolerance to sugar, a pre-diabetes condition. Their blood sugar after fasting or sugar loading is not normal, but not so high as to define them as diabetics.

The results of this research demonstrated that moderate aerobic activity – about 2 ½ hours a week – combined with a diet that required volunteers lose about seven percent of their weight and maintain that weight for an extended period of time, prevented the development of diabetes in almost 60 percent of the volunteers over a three year period.

This treatment – moderate exercise and a reasonable body weight – was twice as efficient in preventing the development of diabetes as the medication Glucophage.

This and other allied research indicate that diabetics and people at risk for diabetes should engage in a moderate physical activity for 30 minutes every day. The safest and most recommended activity is walking at a pace that causes a slight shortness of breath while speaking. This activity, combined with a moderate weight lose of between five and ten percent of body weight, greatly enhances blood sugar values.

This “tip” was provided by Dr. Roy Eldor

Diabetes Unit, Department of Medicine, Hadassah Ein-Kerem