How to Prevent Diabetes

Video Transcript

"You may be wondering how to prevent diabetes. Hi I'm Amy Bull, Professor and Family Nurse Practitioner at Vanderbilt University School of Nursing. Type 1 diabetes is not preventable. However, research is under way to try to determine ways that it might be prevented. Currently we believe that a virus actually triggers the disease and causes the pancreas to attack the body and to prevent the production of insulin. Type 2 diabetes is preventable through regular exercise which is described as at least being of moderate intensity 30 minutes every day and through healthy eating. Weight loss of 5 to 7% of your body weight can help prevent the development of diabetes in most individuals regardless of their family history. Moderate intensity exercise for example is brisk walking or pushing the lawn mower. Thirty minutes of activity every day is key but it doesn't have to be 30 minutes at one time. Research has shown that exercise in 10 minute increments is adequate as long as it happens at least three times a day so we should all be able to exercise that much, a 10 minute walk in the morning, pushing the lawn mower for 10 or 20 minutes in the afternoon to make sure we have our lawns nice and neat will help us prevent developing diabetes."