5 Things You Need to Know About Diabetes

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1. You don't have to be overweight to develop type 2 diabetes. You might imagine the typical type 2 patient to be heavy and inactive—and think you're in the clear if you don't fit that description. But more and more, the condition is becoming a problem for the young and thin, too. About 15 percent of people with type 2 diabetes aren't overweight—but that doesn't mean that they're healthy. The culprit is what has become known as "skinny-fat." Translation: You might look healthy on the outside, but any number of unhealthy habits will have your insides behaving as if you are obese—putting you at risk of developing diabetes.

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2. Diet soda might be a trigger. You know that diet soda isn't good for you—but did you know that your guilty pleasure might also lead to an added risk of developing diabetes? According to research published in the journal Nature, consuming artificial sweeteners led to signs of glucose intolerance, often a precursor to larger illnesses, such as type 2 diabetes. And that's not the only reason to kick the habit.

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3. Your coffee habit could help keep diabetes at bay. Good news, coffee guzzlers: In a study out of Harvard School of Public Health, researchers found that serious coffee drinkers—a.k.a. ones that knocked back four to six cups daily—had a 29 to 54 percent lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes during the 18-year study. Before you start upping your caffeine consumption, though, remember that by "cup," we mean the standard eight ounces—so don't go slurping down six grande lattes a day.

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4. You up your risk when you skip breakfast. A study found that full-time working women who sometimes missed their morning meal had a 54 percent higher risk of being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes than those who ate it on a daily basis. You might think that this link is all about how you might gorge and gain weight later—but the connection is more direct. When you go to bed, your insulin level is stable, and when you don't eat in the morning, your insulin level drops—and then spikes and crashes when you eat at lunch.



5. Diet and exercise aren't the only important factors in reducing your risk. It's true that dropping even 10 pounds significantly slashes your risk of developing diabetes, but monitoring your diet and exercise sometimes overshadows two other important things that need your attention: sleep and stress. Chronic stress can make your blood-sugar levels skyrocket, and regularly getting less than six hours of shut-eye can double your diabetes risk. To stay at your healthiest, eat well and get your exercise, but also find a source of relaxation and make sure you're getting enough sleep

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Blood tests are the only surefire way to predict your diabetes risk.

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