Research
Energy balance
Adopting a traditional lifestyle characterized by high physical activity and low obesity levels prevents type 2 diabetes, even in populations with high genetic susceptibility.
If you have a family history of diabetes, your risk is not fixed. The most effective way to prevent the disease is to maintain a healthy weight and stay physically active. This is especially critical if you come from a background with high genetic risk for diabetes.
GoodSupportsHIGH confidence
The much lower prevalence of type 2 diabetes and obesity in the Pima Indians in Mexico than in the U.S. indicates that even in populations genetically prone to these conditions, their development is determined mostly by environmental circumstances, thereby suggesting that type 2 diabetes is largely preventable.
Why this rating
Strong observational evidence with matched genetics, but cross-sectional design limits causal proof of onset delay.
Source
Effects of Traditional and Western Environments on Prevalence of Type 2 Diabetes in Pima Indians in Mexico and the U.S.
Leslie O. Schulz et al. · Diabetes Care · 2006
DOI 10.2337/dc06-0138
cross_sectional · n=789Cited 420×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
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