Diagnosis: Get Your Genes in Shape

Activate your jeans and your genes will follow. A study from the University of Helsinki found that physical inactivity can impair the functions of certain genes and that lifestyle habits contribute—perhaps more than heredity—to insulin resistance in obese people. Resistance to insulin often leads to diabetes or heart disease. The study looked at pairs of identical twins in which only one twin was obese. In every case, the overweight twin had significantly lower insulin sensitivity and was also less fit. "By what you choose to do with your life, your genes can change the way they function 180 degrees," says researcher Kirsi Pietiläinen.

The Good Life

Four lifestyle choices to help prevent diabetes:

• Space your meals. Having five or six small meals a day will stabilize your insulin levels.
• Eat right. Limit sugar intake and eat controlled portions of foods that are high in fiber and low in fat and salt.
• Manage your weight. The American Diabetes Association says that losing about 5-7 percent of your body weight can help prevent adult onset (type 2) diabetes.
• Know the risks. Does diabetes run in the family, or are you overweight with high cholesterol? Minorities have a greater chance of developing diabetes. Talk to a doctor about your risk factors.