Jun 9, 2008 2:47 pm US/Eastern
HealthWatch: Diet, Exercise Prevent Diabetes
British Study Finds Healthy Living Slows Onset Of Disease
NEW YORK (CBS) ―
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Weight gain and climbing blood pressure, combined with a few other issues, is what doctors call "Syndrome X," which is essentially pre-diabetes.
CBS
Obesity is at an all-time high in the United states, as currently more than 64 percent of adults are overweight, leading to an epidemic of diabetes.
The good news, however, is that something can be done to prevent the disease.
"I don't want to die at the age of 59, like my mother," Catherine Noto, who was diagnosed with pre-diabetes, said. "Or at the age of 59 or 62. I really want to live a long, vibrant life."
Not so long ago, Noto's life-goal was in jeopardy. She had gained a little weight, and her blood pressure had started to escalate. That and a few other issues combine into what doctors call "Syndrome X," which is essentially pre-diabetes.
"When we see somebody who is a bit overweight, they have a belly, their blood pressure is borderline elevated, cholesterol is a bit elevated, triglycerides are a little high, these are people who we know are probably going to develop Type II diabetes," Dr. Suzanne Steinbaum, of Lenox Hill Hospital, said.
But now, a 20-year study of nearly 600 people in the British Medical Journal, The Lancet, says people in Noto's predicament may be able to keep from becoming diabetic.
"I eat a lot of vegetables and salad, lean meats, and fish," Noto said.
That's what is at the core of the prevention plan. The study's volunteers who ate a diet rich in fruits and vegetables and low in saturated fats, meaning small amounts of lean fish and chicken, paired with regular exercise reduced their risk of diabetes by 51 percent compared to those who didn't exercise and ate their normal diet.
"The take-home message here is that this is a lifestyle issue," Steinbaum said. "And the good news: it's empowering. Because it's in your hands. And you can actually do something to change the outcome of what you might develop."
But experts say these lifestyle changes are even more powerful when begun before you get into the pre-diabetic stage.
"Diet and exercise should be looked at as a medication, not just part of what we're supposed to do," Steinbaum said. "It's like a pill, it's that powerful in preventing diabetes."
And Noto says she notices the difference.
"I'm actually losing some weight, which is great, and I have more energy as well," she said. "So I think, really, this is the way for me to go."
It's worth repeating Steinbaum's advice that diet and exercise are as good as any medication at preventing diabetes. Plus, the only side effects are weight loss, and a heart and lungs that get stronger.
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