Type 2 Diabetes Prevention Research
Diabetic Diet & Health Fitness Touted by Medical Research Council
Mar 10, 2009
Diet and life-style will determine if a person is at risk for type 2 diabetes, according to a study by the Chronic Diseases of Lifestyle Unit, Medical Research Council, Tygerberg, South Africa. The study is titled “Diet, Nutrition and the Prevention of Type 2 Diabetes,” and was published on the PubMed web site on April 9, 2006. The authors of the study are Steyn NP, Mann J., Bennett PH, Temple N, Zimmet P, Tuomilehto J, Lindstrom J, and Louheranta A. The PubMed site is the U.S. National Center for Biotechnology Information, sponsored by the U.S. National Library of Medicine and the U.S. National Institutes of Health.
What Causes Diabetes
The objectives of the Medical Research Council were to extensively evaluate current published scientific studies and literature about the relationship between life-style, diet, and type 2 diabetes in order to provide prevention information. The study design involved the accumulation of data about the incidence and prevalence of type 2 diabetes in large populations in order to arrive at a conclusion as to the source causing the disease (epidemiological research), and experimental (controlled studies) literature. The long-term studies were “...given the most weight as to strength of evidence available...”
Diabetes Research and Diabetes Diet
In order to arrive at a conclusion as to the relationship between food and type 2 diabetes, and to provide recommendations to prevent the disease by healthy food choices, many clinical trials and controlled studies were evaluated in low, middle, and high income countries. The major studies considered were:
- U.S. Diabetes Prevention Program
- Finnish Diabetes Prevention Study
- Da Qing Study
- Pima Indian Study
- Women’s Health Study
- The U. S. Male Physicians Study
Body Mass Index Research on Obesity
People who are physically active and maintain a normal body mass index are at a decreased risk of type 2 diabetes, according to The Medical Research Council (MRC) study. Overweight adults “...with impaired glucose tolerance who lose weight voluntarily... are also less likely to develop type 2 diabetes" according to MRC. The study results also state, “An increased risk for developing type 2 diabetes is associated with overweight and obesity; abdominal obesity; physical inactivity.” From all studies, according to MRC, another cause of diabetes could be a “...high intake of saturated fat...”
The conclusion of the MRC study provides evidence that overweight and obesity increases the risk of type 2 diabetes. A low fat diet and healthy life-style, according to MRC, is key to diabetes prevention through health fitness.
The MRC prevention advice requires maintaining normal weight and almost daily exercise such as aerobics, or the use of exercise equipment. Also, cutting down the amount of saturated fatty foods will provide further insurance against diabetes.
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