My Disease Risk Fcators

Diabetes

Your Results

Your risk is Below Average

LOWAVERAGEHIGHLowest Possible RiskYour Risk

Click to Watch Your Risk Drop

Here's what you can do to lower your risk.

To see what your risk could be, click on a box and watch your risk drop.

Get to a healthy weight.

Eat unsaturated fats, like vegetable oil, on most days.

Prevention Tips

Over 29 million people in the US have diabetes, but it’s a very preventable disease.

Most scientists agree that these things affect the risk of diabetes. Some may apply to you, but others may not. And some you can change, but others you cannot.

Choose a healthy lifestyle to lower your risk of diabetes as well as other important diseases.

Things you can change:

Don’t smoke

Being smoke-free is the #1 thing you can do for your health. Smoking raises the risk of 15 cancers, including kidney cancer. Cigarette smoke contains chemicals that can damage the genetic structure (DNA) of the body’s cells and cause them to become cancerous.

Over 1,000 US smokers quit for good every day. But for many people, quitting isn’t easy. Different methods work for different people. And the average smoker tries a number of times before quitting for good. So don’t give up!

If you’re ready to quit, talk to a doctor or nurse. It can double your chances of success. For help quitting or just to learn more about the risks of smoking, call 1-800-QUIT-NOW or visit  smokefree.gov .

Maintain a healthy weight

People who maintain a healthy weight and healthy waist size have a lower risk of diabetes. A BMI under 23 is ideal when it comes to diabetes risk. And waist size is best under 36 inches for women and 40 inches for men.

Keeping weight in check also lowers the risk of breast cancer, colon cancer, kidney cancer, pancreatic cancer, uterine cancer, and heart disease. It's one of the best things you can do for your health. Tips:

· Integrate physical activity into your life. Choose things you enjoy, like walking, jogging, and dancing.

· Eat a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.

· Choose smaller portions and eat more slowly.

Don’t feel like you have to tackle losing weight alone. Losing weight and maintaining a healthy weight can be challenging. Talk to a doctor or other health care provider for advice.

And remember: small changes can make a big difference over time.

Be physically active - Aim for at least 30 minutes a day

Being physically active lowers the risk of diabetes - as well as breast cancer, colon cancer, heart disease, and stroke. It’s also a great way to keep weight in check.

Choose activities you enjoy and work them into your daily routine. Ten minutes here and there throughout the day can quickly add up to the 30 minutes you need. In general, the more you do, the better. Tips:

· Take the stairs instead of the elevator.

· Take a walk at lunchtime with a friend.

· Walk the dog.

· Go out dancing.

· Check your local paper for events to get you moving.

Eat a lot of whole grains - Aim for 3 or more servings a day

A diet rich in whole grains can lower the risk of diabetes. Whole grains are a great source of fiber and other important nutrients. Choose grain foods that have "whole" or "whole grain" as the first ingredient on the food label. Easy choices include: 100% whole wheat bread, toasted whole-grain oat cereal, brown rice, and old-fashioned oatmeal. Try to get at least three servings of whole grains each day. That’s about 3 slices of 100% whole wheat bread or a cup and a half of cooked brown rice.

Limit refined starch - Aim for 3 or fewer servings a day

Refined starches are foods like white rice, white bread, white pasta, white potatoes and low-fiber cereals (like crispy rice and corn flakes). Eating too much of them can increase your risk of diabetes. One of the best ways to lower the amount of refined starches in your diet is to replace them with foods rich in whole grains and fiber. Tips:

· Choose 100% whole-wheat bread, instead of white bread.

· Select brown rice or wild rice, instead of white rice.

· Try whole-grain cereal, instead of cornflakes or sugary cereals.

· Substitute whole-wheat pasta, instead of regular white pasta.

Focus on unsaturated fats

A diet high in unsaturated fats can help lower the risk of diabetes. Unsaturated fats are usually liquid at room temperature and include oils like safflower, sesame, sunflower, corn, soybean, canola, olive and peanut. Avocados also have a lot of unsaturated fat. Use these healthy unsaturated fats in place of less healthy saturated and trans fats. Tips:

· Cook with peanut, canola or olive oil rather than butter or vegetable shortening.

· Use olive or sesame oil for salad dressings.

· Choose fatty fish like tuna or salmon in place of red meat.

· Bake at home with vegetable oil instead of eating fried fast food or commercially made baked goods.

Drink alcohol only moderately, if at all

While moderate drinking can lower the risk of diabetes as well as heart disease, it can increase the risk of colon cancer and breast cancer. And heavier drinking can increase the risk of stomach cancer. If you drink moderately (1 drink/day for women and 2 drinks/day for men), there’s likely no reason to stop. But, if you drink more, you should cut down or quit.

Things you can’t change:

Age

The risk of type 2 diabetes increases with age, and it is most common in people over the age of 40.

Race and ethnicity

Type 2 diabetes is more common in African Americans, Latinos, Native Americans, Asians and Pacific Islanders, compared to whites.

Family history

A person with a close relative who had diabetes has a higher risk of developing the disease. This increased risk is probably due to a combination of shared genes and shared lifestyle factors.