That's Fit

Investing in fitness and healthy eating habits now may deliver a big payoff later. New research reveals group-based diet and exercise interventions over six years can prevent or delay type 2 diabetes for up to 14 years. The study was published last week in a Diabetes Special Issue of The Lancet.

This study started way back in 1986, randomly assigning 577 adults with impaired glucose tolerance across 33 clinics in China to a control group or one of three lifestyle intervention groups incorporating diet, exercise or diet plus exercise. Interventions actively continued for the following six years until 1992, then participants were assessed in 2006 to determine long-term impacts of each intervention.

Compared to control participants, the combined lifestyle interventions reduced diabetes incidence by 51 percent during the six-year active intervention, and by 43 percent over the 20-year study span. Average annual incidence of newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes was seven percent for intervention participants compared to 11 percent in the control group. By 2006, 80 percent of the intervention group had diabetes compared to 93 percent of the control group. Additionally, the intervention group spent an average of 3.6 fewer years with diabetes than controls.

Keep walking, jogging and going to the gym. Keep reaching for those healthy fruits and veggies to maintain a reasonable weight. Not only will you look and feel great, you may delay type 2 diabetes for years or avoid it entirely. AOL Body offers comprehensive diet and fitness information to help you get started.

For those recently diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, don't miss this post I just wrote over at Trusera regarding a new research study linking early intensive insulin therapy with improved rates of type 2 remission. Trusera is an interactive health website where you can tap into real-life experiences and resources shared by others facing similar health challenges. It's a special place where you can share your story, too.