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The Diabetes Prevention Program

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - A major study called the Diabetes Prevention Program (dpp) looked at more than 3,200 people at high risk for type 2 diabetes. One of the goals was to find out what increased the risk of type 2 diabetes in high risk people.

All of the people in the study were overweight and nearly half of them belonged to at-risk racial or ethnic groups. Here's what they found:

The two most important things you can do to prevent or delay type 2 diabetes is eat a healthy diet and lose a small amount of weight.

The people in the study ate foods low in fat and calories. They also lost 5 to 7% of their body weight by being active for 30 minutes a day, five days a week. If you're a 200-pound person, that translates into a 10 to 15 pound weight loss.

The people who did these two things reduced their risk of developing diabetes by 58%. These lifestyle changes were especially effective for people over the age of 60. People in this age group reduced their risk by 71%.

Reported By Dr. Brian McDonough, KYW Newsradio Medical Editor

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