Focuses on studies on the significance of behavior in the
prevention and control of diabetes. Background on the prevalence of
diabetes in the United States (U.S.); Significance of healthy lifestyle
changes in preventing Type 2 diabetes; Information on the Diabetes
Prevention Program in the U.S.
By
Rena Wing,
Melbourne Hovell, published on November 01, 2001
HEALTHPSYCH
PSYCHOLOGY TODAY PRESENTS ITS inaugural "HealthPsych" column, in
which medical experts consider behavioral approaches to disease
prevention and control. Future columns will address conditions including
heart disease, cancer, asthma and menopause.
Diabetes is the seventh leading cause of death in the U.S.,
affecting more than 6 percent of Americans and depleting the nation of
$98 billion a year in health-care costs. Currently, medical care is aimed
at controlling blood sugar, blood pressure and lipids, to reduce vascular
complications. Smoking cessation, healthy eating and adherence to
prescribed medications are important behavioral aspects of diabetes
management.
However, focusing on diabetes prevention may be more effective than
focusing solely on treatment. Changing people's behavior is key. In fact,
Finnish researchers found that subjects who shed just 10 pounds and
increased their physical activity by approximately 30 minutes per day
reduced their risk of type 2 diabetes,
Type 2 diabetes accounts for 90 percent of diabetes in the U.S. and
is associated with increased age, obesity and a sedentary lifestyle. More
than 80 percent, of individuals with type 2 diabetes are overweight. As
Americans have become more obese (18 percent of Americans are obese and a
staggering 60 percent are considered overweight), diabetes prevalence has
increased dramatically. Thus, healthy lifestyle changes may help prevent
type 2 diabetes.
Several studies suggest that changing behavior can affect diabetes
risk. In the Finnish Diabetes Prevention Study, for example, 522
middle-aged overweight adults with impaired glucose tolerance were
randomly assigned to a control or to an intervention group. The
intervention group received individualized counseling for diet, physical
activity and weight change, leading to a 58 percent reduction in risk of
developing diabetes over the three-year trial. The results were recently
published in the New England Journal of Medicine.
The Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP) is a randomized trial with
more than 3,000 participants recruited from 27 centers across the U.S.
that will determine whether intensive lifestyle intervention or
medication can prevent or delay development of diabetes. Findings from
DPR to be published soon, may confirm the role of behavior change in
decreasing the risk of diabetes. In the meantime, based on prior studies,
overweight individuals who are at risk for diabetes should work to
achieve modest weight losses and gradually increase their physical
activity.
Edited By Melbourne Hovell, Ph.D.
Tags:
behavioral approaches,
diabetes accounts,
diabetes management,
diabetes type 2,
finnish researchers,
glucose tolerance,
heart disease cancer,
overweight adults,
prevention study,
sedentary lifestyle,
smoking cessation
