Being inactive or sedentary contributes to type 2 diabetes as you are more prone to gain weight. Here's an interesting statistic, nearly 9 out of 10 people with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes are overweight.  If you are overweight, losing pounds will help you better manage your diabetes disease. Doctors will strongly recommend exercise and Physical activity to help keep blood sugar levels in check. Type 2 diabetes can be prevented or delayed by managing weight and increasing physical activities such as walking.

Insulin resistance can happen if you are overweight because the fat blocks the insulin from moving the glucose into the cells. One way to find out if your weight puts you at risk for diabetes type 2 is to look at your body mass index, or BMI, which is based on a calculation of your height and weight. There are a number of internet sites that will allow you to calculate your BMI within seconds to find out if you are at risk for diabetes type 2.

A new study in the Archives of Internal Medicine examined the association between type 2 diabetes, weight gain, and the consumption of soft drinks and fruit drinks. They looked at over 43,000 women over the course of ten years, during which almost 3,000 of the women developed Type 2 diabetes. The findings were disturbing.

The women who drank two or more soft drinks per day had a 24% increase in their risk for diabetes. The women who drank two or more fruit drinks per day had a 31% increase in their risk (grapefruit juice and orange juice were not statistically associated with the risk).

The beverage marketing gurus have tried to educate us too think that fruit drinks are healthier than sodas who is kidding who?
"Consumption of fruit drinks conveyed as high an increase in risk as did consumption of soft drinks", the researchers wrote. The higher the consumption of soda, fruit juices, fortified fruit drinks and Kool-Aid, the higher the risk. "The public should be made aware that these drinks are not a healthy alternative to soft drinks with regard to risk of Type ll diabetes", the authors wrote.

In a related study, researchers from Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge analyzed blood vitamin C levels and fruit and vegetable intake in over 21,000 people who didn't have diabetes at the beginning of the study. Over 12 years, 735 participants developed diabetes. Interesting fact, the odds of developing diabetes was 62% lower for those who had the highest levels of vitamin C in their system.

Studies have shown that a combination approach to weight loss over the short and long term prove to be more effective in keeping the weight at a healthy level. Weight loss and weight management should be a priority for individual with type 2 diabetes. Short-term studies have demonstrated that weight loss in overweight or obese people with type 2 diabetes will assist in decreased insulin resistance, improved measures of glycemic control, and reduced blood pressure.