Type 2 Diabetes: Who’s At Risk?
Family History
If one of your parents has type 2 diabetes, you have a higher than average risk of getting it, too.
Body Weight
If you are overweight or obese, your chances of diabetes are higher. Losing weight can lower your risk!
Exercise
Regular exercise – at least 30 minutes on 5 days a week – can lower your chances of developing diabetes.
Healthy Diet
You can lower your chances of diabetes by limiting processed, calorie-dense food and soft drinks. Choose healthy alternatives!
| Are you at risk for type 2 diabetes? |
| 1. If you’re older than 45 years and overweight, you should be screened for diabetes at least every 3 years. |
| 2. If you’re younger than 45 years and overweight, take this quiz:
• Are you inactive during the day, with little or no physical activity? • Are you African American, Latin American, Native American, or Asian American? • Have you given birth to a baby that weighed more than 9 pounds? • Were you diagnosed with gestational diabetes? • Do you have high blood pressure? • Do you have high cholesterol? • Are you a woman with polycystic ovarian syndrome? • Have you ever had an abnormal blood glucose test? • Do you have heart disease? • Do you have a parent, sibling, or child with diabetes? • Are you a man with a waist larger than 40 inches around? • Are you a woman with a waist larger than 35 inches around? • Do you have darkening of the skin around the base of your neck?
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If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, you could be at risk for diabetes. Contact your health care provider to ask about a diabetes screen.
