Mississippi State Department of Health

Preventing Type 2 Diabetes

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Type 2 diabetes has become a major health issue in Mississippi. Thousands of adult Mississippians live with the complications of type 2 diabetes, including amputations, serious liver disease, blindness, heart disease and premature death.

Type 2 diabetes is preventable. You can delay or prevent the disease by taking simple steps today. This web page will tell you about your risk and how to keep it low.

ON THIS PAGE

Pre-Diabetes

If your blood sugar level is higher than normal but lower than the diabetes range, then you have pre-diabetes. Fortunately, you can reduce the risk of getting diabetes and even return to normal blood sugar levels. With modest weight loss and moderate physical activity, you can delay or prevent type 2 diabetes. Learn more

Know Your Risk

Type 2 diabetes develops when your body loses the ability to control the sugars from the food you eat. As your blood sugar rises, damage to organs of the body begins.

Being overweight is a primary cause of type 2 diabetes., but other factors, like age, also contribute. You are likely to be at risk if:

You are overweight or obese, or

You are 45 years old or older. If you are also overweight, it is strongly recommended that you be screened for diabetes (a simple blood sugar test).

Even if you are younger than 45, if you're overweight, your risk is higher if:

If you are at risk: make healthy changes, learn about symptoms, and make diabetes screening part of your regular checkups. Type 2 diabetes can be prevented or delayed by making changes such as controlling your weight and getting more physical activity.

Signs and Symptoms

Many people have no signs or symptoms of diabetes, but still have unhealthy blood sugar levels. Symptoms can also be so mild that you might not even notice them. 300,000 Mississippians have type 2 diabetes. Twice that many may have type 2 diabetes and not know it.

Signs to look for:

Diabetes Screening

If you have one or more of these symptoms, and especially if you are at higher risk, arrange a diabetes screening as soon as possible. Your doctor, drop-in clinics, and even pharmacies can provide a blood glucose test and an A1C test to screen you for type 2 diabetes.

Preventing Type 2 Diabetes

Step 1: Reduce Your Body Weight

Being overweight can keep your body from using sugar properly. It can also cause high blood pressure.

Even modest weight loss makes a difference, The National Diabetes Prevention Program found that people who lost between 5 and 7 percent of their body weight significantly reduced their risk of type 2 diabetes. For example, if you weigh 200 pounds, losing only 10 pounds could make a difference!

Choose sensible ways to get in shape:

Step 2: Make Wise Food Choices

By making wise food choices, you can help control your body weight, blood pressure, and cholesterol.

More about healthy eating

Step 3: Be Physically Active Every Day

Regular exercise tackles several risk factors at once. It helps you lose weight, keeps your cholesterol and blood pressure under control, and helps lower your blood sugar.

Moderate activity such as brisk walking for 30 minutes every day reduces your risk of type 2 diabetes and improves your overall health.

If you are not very active, you should start slowly, talking with your doctor first about what kinds of exercise would be safe for you. Make a plan to increase your daily activity, with the goal of being active at least 30 minutes a day most days of the week.

Choose activities you enjoy. Walking is one of the best ways to work extra activity into your daily routine:

Prevention: A Change for Life

In this video, people with pre-diabetes talk about how the CDC's group lifestyle change classes helped them learn and keep healthy habits.

Managing Diabetes

If you have diabetes, you can take steps to manage it. One of our self-management training programs can provide skills to help keep you as healthy as possible.



Links referenced on this page
Learn more    http://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/prevention/prediabetes.htm
Start now    https://doihaveprediabetes.org/
Type 2 diabetes develops when your body loses the ability to control the sugars from the food you eat. As your blood sugar rises, damage to organs of the body begins.    https://icongr.am/material/water.svg?color=ff0000
Find a location near you    http://msdh.ms.gov/page/19,0,166.html ok
Step 1: Reduce Your Body Weight    https://icongr.am/material/scale-bathroom.svg?color=00cfc5
National Diabetes Prevention Program    https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/prevention/
Step 2: Make Wise Food Choices    https://icongr.am/material/food-apple.svg?color=66cc33
Suggested eating plans and guide to choosing meals    http://msdh.ms.gov/msdhsite/index.cfm/43,0,213,html ok
Step 3: Be Physically Active Every Day    https://icongr.am/material/walk.svg?color=00cfc5
Simple ways to stay active daily    http://msdh.ms.gov/msdhsite/index.cfm/43,0,270,806,html ok
   http://msdh.ms.gov/msdhsite/index.cfm/43,0,296,474,html ok
Diabetes self-management programs    http://msdh.ms.gov/msdhsite/index.cfm/43,0,296,474,html ok

Find this page at http://msdh.ms.gov/msdhsite/index.cfm/index.cfm

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