The National Institutes of Health study found that lowering
one's body weight by 7 percent — an average of 15 pounds —
through a low-fat diet and exercising for 150 minutes a week can
decrease the risk of developing type II diabetes — also known
as adult-onset diabetes — by as much as 58 percent.
"Type II diabetes is not inevitable, and the solution
may be as simple as getting up off the couch and walking around
the block and eating a healthier diet," said Dr.
Christopher Saudek, president of the American Diabetes
Association.
The study also showed that use of the blood sugar-lowering
drug metformin, sold by Bristol-Myers Squibb under the brand
name Glucophage, lowered participants' risk of developing type
II diabetes by 31 percent.
Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson said in
light of the findings, members of his department will go on a
diet, and he challenged other federal employees to do the same.
He added that the federal government will develop a new public
health campaign to fight diabetes.
"Today, we have exciting news, exciting proof that when
it comes to diabetes, prevention really does work,"
Thompson said. "Americans weigh more than ever before. And
too many people live sedentary lives. Diabetes costs our nation
at least $100 billion each and every year."
Weight Is
Factor
The clinical study involved 3,234 participants from 27
medical centers across the country.
Type II diabetes accounts for 95 percent of all cases of
diabetes and it is estimated that 10 million Americans are at
high risk for developing the disease.
Being overweight is a primary risk factor for developing type
II diabetes. In fact, eight out of 10 people with type II
diabetes are overweight, causing the body to become more
resistant to the blood sugar-lowering hormone insulin.
Medication
Lowers Risk
The NIH study also indicated using metformin can help prevent
the onset of type II diabetes.
Metformin is currently used as a treatment for those already
diagnosed with diabetes and works by lowering the amount of
sugar released from the liver and lowering the amount of sugar
absorbed in the intestine.
Participants in the NIH study received 850 mg of metformin
twice a day during the study and showed a 31 percent decrease in
their risk for developing type II diabetes.
Based on these results, the FDA may now consider allowing the
drug for use in preventing type II diabetes.
ABCNEWS' Andrew Giese and Lauren Rogers contributed to
this report.
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