Among the 3 diseases in our 3 “high” series, both Dr Wu and I would argue that Type 2 diabetes is the most complicated disease but probably the most preventable one. And it’s reversible if you catch it at an early stage! Dr Wu said, “if we eat healthily, exercise regularly, and keep our BMI (body mass index) within normal range, we can delay the onset and slow down progression of Type 2 diabetes!” In this blog, my cousin, Dr Wu , and I will discuss what we can do to prevent Type 2 diabetes.
Understanding pre-diabetes
Definitions by blood glucose:
- HbA1C (A1C) between 42 mmol/mol (5.9%) and 48 mmol/mol (6.5%)
- Fasting blood sugar of between 5.5 mol/l and 7.0 mol/l
Risk Factors of pre-diabetes:
- Genetics / Family history
- Overweight
- Unhealthy diet
- Low levels of physical activity
- Increasing age
- Ethnicity
- History of gestational diabetes
Good news is that most are reversible and preventable.
“Prediabetes is really common—more than 88 million US adults have it, though more than 84% of them don’t know they do. The good news is that prediabetes can be reversed.” ………CDC, Oct 2020.
To have a real impact on obesity, we need to work together to address its many root causes throughout society: Biology, food, genetic risk, healthcare access, life events, marketing, mental health, sleep, stigma. Simplifying the disease to any one cause can make treating it even harder. So we must raise awareness and improve access to the appropriate information. Please read more about