Diabetes is astonishingly common these days—so common it’s starting to feel like just another inevitable part of modern life. According to the Centers for Disease Control, nearly 24 million Americans, roughly 8 percent of the population, suffer from diabetes; over 90 percent of those cases represent adult-onset or type 2 diabetes. A staggering 57 million more adults have prediabetic blood glucose levels, meaning that those who maintain their current lifestyle are very likely to develop full-blown diabetes down the road. Sound grim? Actually, it’s not—even if you have a predisposition. That’s because the disease is not, inevitable, say experts, even if your family history, race, or age suggest otherwise.

Slashing your risk—or your family’s risk—for the disease, however, requires you change your eating and exercise habits, says registered dietitian Joanne Gallivan, director of the National Diabetes Education Program in Washington, D.C. Consider this: “Just a 5 to 7 percent reduction in body weight in at-risk individuals can reduce the risk of developing diabetes by about half,” she says. First, remove sugary foods (foods high in any type of sugar, including table sugar, high fructose corn syrup, or others), most fatty foods, and highly processed carbohydrates (such as white rice or white bread) from your diet. Eating these can contribute to weight gain, which can lead to insulin resistance, and this puts you at greater risk for type 2 diabetes. Research also shows that favoring the dietary suggestions made below and exercising regularly (see Exercise Away Diabetes Risk) can go a long way toward preventing—and sometimes even reversing—the disease.

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