How to Stop Pre-Diabetes Now

Diabetes is a growing concern for many Americans. To prevent this debilitating disease, it's important to stop prediabetes as soon as possible. Prediabetes is characterized by a blood sugar level "high enough to dramatically increase [the] risk of getting the full-blown disease," according to the Associated Press. According to the Centers for Disease Control, an estimated 54 million Americans over 21 had prediabetes as of 2007. As of 2005, about 2 million of those with prediabetes were adolescents, according to the AP. Luckily, prediabetes is not technically a disease itself, and prediabetes can be reversed now, long before it progresses further toward an official diabetes diagnosis.

Instructions

• 1

  Adapt formal lifestyle intervention tactics to fit your situation; call friends and family to let them know you want to make a lifestyle change and that you'll need their support.

• 2

  Adjust your diet to fit the American Diabetes Association's guidelines for healthy eating (see Resources). Among the American Diabetes Association's recommendations, some of the most important dieting advice includes cutting back calories along with increased fruit and vegetable intake.

• 3

  Begin regular exercise. When combined with the proper diet described in Step 2, the CDC reports that "moderate-intensity physical activity (such as walking for 2 1/2 hours each week)" can reduce the progression of prediabetes by 58 percent.

• 4

  Talk to your doctor about the possibility of taking the drug "metformin." This drug is useful in stopping prediabetes before the condition develops into full-blown diabetes. However, the CDC cautions that the drug is "not as effective" as the lifestyle changes necessary for healthier living. Medication is most useful when combined with other measures.

• 5

  Fully commit to the changes mentioned, going above and beyond the bare minimum exercise and diet recommendations. The more you improve your overall health, the faster you'll stop your prediabetes.