Take a walk, lose a pound

American Diabetes Month: Take steps to prevent it …
Turn a card, take a walk, lose a pound
 What connection could there possibly be between a card game and diabetes? In one way, there is one.
 The Royal London Hospital reports that for every two hours you spend watching television daily, your risk of diabetes rises by as much as 14 percent. When you play games like cards and Scrabble, you are less likely to be snacking than when you watch TV.

 The hospital also found that when one spouse has diabetes, the other’s risk of getting the disease is doubled. Type 2 diabetes is not contagious, but a “diabetes lifestyle” is.
 During November, check your own risk factors. Search the Internet for American Diabetes Month and click on the Diabetes Risk Test.
 If your score is high, you may have pre-diabetes. The good news is that the recent Diabetes Prevention Program study conclusively showed that people can prevent the development of type 2 by making changes in their diet and increasing their level of physical activity. They may be able to return their blood glucose levels to the normal range.
 The study showed that medications may delay the development of diabetes, but diet and exercise work better. Just 30 minutes a day of moderate physical activity coupled with a 5 percent to 10 percent reduction in body weight produced a big reduction in risk.
 People are getting the message. Undiagnosed cases in black and Hispanic men, for example, have dropped dramatically in the last three decades.’
 People who have type 2 diabetes should follow their doctors” instructions to avoid heart attacks, eye disease, nerve damage, and kidney failure.