Getting Started

First things first. Here are answers to some questions you may have about diabetes and your weight.

What is diabetes?

Diabetes happens when the body can't use food well. To use the food you eat, the body needs a hormone called insulin (say it "IN-suh-lin"). Insulin helps the body use food as energy. In type 2 diabetes, the body doesn't make enough insulin and the insulin it does make doesn't work well.

What is the link between diabetes and obesity?

If you are overweight, you are at a higher risk for type 2 diabetes. But you can help prevent diabetes by losing some weight and making some small lifestyle changes. Losing just 10-15 pounds is enough for many people.

One way to measure a healthy weight is using the body mass index (BMI). If you have a BMI of 25 or higher, you may be overweight. If your BMI is 30 or higher, you may be considered obese, or very overweight.

Use an online calculator to find out your BMI.

What Can You Do?

A study called The Diabetes Prevention Program showed that you can prevent or delay type 2 diabetes. Losing weight and increasing activity can reduce your risk for type 2 diabetes if you are at high risk. People who took part in the study lowered their risk by losing 10-15 pounds and getting 30 minutes of exercise 5 days a week. Usually the exercise was walking, but there are many activities you can choose to get more exercise and lower your risk.

Get started by learning more about losing weight and increasing activity.

Get your ADA Pedometer!