Can diet and weight control prevent diabetes …?
It depends on what kind of diabetes they have. Some forms of diabetes, such as MODY, Type 1 diabetes, and specific genetic forms of Type 2 diabetes cannot be prevented. African Americans sometimes develop a rare form of Type 1 diabetes called “Idiopathic” or Type 1B diabetes. Although about 80% of Type 2 cases can be prevented (the majority), 20% cannot. Type 1 is never preventable, as it is an autoimmune disease. MODY is a rare genetic form of diabetes that also is not preventable. If they are normal weight and have always followed a healthy lifestyle, then they may very well have a non-preventable form of diabetes. Genetic and/or antibody testing can tell you if you are at risk as well for these forms. If it turns out that you have markers for MODY or Type 1 diabetes, unfortunately, there is no way to prevent them, but at least you can catch it early with regular screening before you get very sick. Type 2 diabetes can *often* be prevented with a healthy lifestyle, but a strong family