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Defeat Diabetes Foundation

Defeat Diabetes
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Physical Activity Slows And Prevents The Onset of Type 2 Diabetes

Posted: Monday, November 15, 2004

A recent report filed by the National Center for Disease Statistics found that type-II or adult-onset diabetes is becoming a national epidemic. This is on the heels of an expected rise in the rate of obesity, particularly childhood obesity. The link between these is the clear fact that Americans do not exercise nearly enough. The report found that nearly a third of all Americans get little or no exercise. The American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) is focusing on reducing inactivity during national physical therapy month with its "Fit for Life" initiative.

A landmark study conducted by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) found that those at risk for type-II diabetes could reduce the likelihood of developing the disease by 58 percent through 30 minutes of moderate daily exercise and by weight reduction, eating a low-fat, low-carbohydrate diet. The NIH study demonstrated that lifestyle interventions could actually prevent the disease.

APTA member Terry Michel, PT, MS, CCS, who contributed to the study, said that physical therapists could play a vital role in helping people develop safe exercise programs. "Overweight or obese individuals must follow an appropriate exercise program that included aerobic conditioning and avoidance of exercises that can lead to injury," said Michel. Safe and appropriate exercises may include swimming, stationary cycling, and walking.

"Overweight or obese individuals are at high risk for physical injury from an improper exercise regime," said Michael Mueller, PT, Ph.D., associate professor at Washington University School of Medicine and an APTA member. "Range of motion, mobility, and flexibility are often greatly reduced in people who are overweight or obese, thereby increasing their chances for serious injury.

Risk factors for diabetes include a family history of the disease, being overweight, a prior history of gestational diabetes (high blood sugar during pregnancy), physical inactivity, and race/ethnicity. African Americans, Hispanic/Latino Americans, American Indians, and some Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders are at particularly high risk for type-II diabetes. In study of diabetes prevention, all ethnic groups experienced an equal benefit from lifestyle intervention.

It is also important to recognize that overweight or obese individuals may have experienced past failures with exercise. "The guidance of a caring physical therapist that understands the difficulties that individuals may be encountering, monitors their progress closely, and encourages them to persevere can often spell the difference between success and failure," Mueller explained.