How Much Weight Should You Shed to Avoid Diabetes?

How can a blood test determine if I have prediabetes? How much weight do I need to lose to bring my numbers down?

Answer: Doctors typically perform one of three blood tests to diagnose prediabetes, a condition marked by blood sugar (glucose) levels that are higher than normal but not high enough to qualify as diabetes. While prediabetes often leads to full-fledged Type 2 diabetes, many people can hold the condition in check if they lose a relatively small amount of weight and increase their physical activity, said Dr. Rhonda Bentley-Lewis, an assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School.

“I stress to my patients that we’re not talking about a huge amount of weight. Just 5 to 7 percent of one’s body weight” she said. That’s 10 to 14 pounds for someone who weighs 200 pounds.

Excerpted from sandiegouniontribune.com

Read Full Article