Excess body fat, particularly if stored around the abdomen, can increase the body’s resistance to the hormone insulin, say experts. And being overweight increases the chances of developing type 2 diabetes seven fold. Losing 7 to 10 per cent of your current weight can lower your risk of developing type 2 diabetes in half.

Exercise not only helps you lose weight, but keep blood glucose, blood pressure, cholesterol and triglycerides at optimal levels, say experts. Even just moderate exercise of 30 minutes per day, five days a week can help.

Nutritionists confirm that portion control is very important, even if you’re eating all the right foods, like reducing the amount of fat in your diet, especially saturated and trans fats. You also need to eat more more fruits, vegetables and high-fibre foods as well as cut back on salt.

Experts warn that women should have no more than one glass of wine as too much alcohol can lead to weight gain and may increase your blood pressure and triglyceride levels.

Related: 10 Ways Alcohol Affects Your Health and Body

According to health experts, smoking increases your risk of diabetes complications as it increases your blood sugar levels. Tobacco use can also increase insulin resistance and stimulate stress hormones which can increase blood glucose levels and make it more difficult to manage pre-diabetes and diabetes.

Reducing the frequency and the amount of sweets you consume can help reduce the pressure on your metabolism and may extend your healthy years, suggest experts. Reducing sweets is an easy way to cut calories and lose weight too!

Related: 5 Ways to Eat Less Sugar

Irrespective of your height or built, if your waistline is getting bigger it could mean you are at increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes and other chronic diseases such as heart disease and some cancers, say experts.

A study conducted on 126,210 women and men, by the Harvard School of Public Health found that big-time coffee drinkers—those who downed more than six daily cups—had a 29 to 54 per cent lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes during the 18-year study. However, decaf coffee offered no protection. Caffeine in other forms—tea, soda, chocolate—did. Researchers suspect that caffeine may help by boosting metabolism. And coffee, the major caffeine source in the study, also contains potassium, magnesium, and antioxidants that help cells absorb sugar. B

Related: 8 Reasons Why Coffee Is Good For You

A study conducted by Brigham and Women’s Hospital on 37 000 woman found that women who ate red meat at least five times a week had a 29 per cent higher risk of type 2 diabetes than those who ate it less than once a week. And eating processed meats such as bacon and hot dogs at least five times a week raised type 2 diabetes risk by 43 per cent, compared with eating them less than once a week. Scientists suspect the cholesterol in red meat and the additives in processed meat are to blame.

German researchers studied 65 adults with type 2 diabetes who then took a capsule containing the equivalent of 1 g of cinnamon powder or a placebo three times a day for four months. By the end of the four months, cinnamon reduced blood sugar by about 10 per cent; the placebo users improved by only 4 per cent. It is believed that the compounds in cinnamon may activate enzymes that stimulate insulin receptors. The sweet spice has also been shown to help lower cholesterol and triglycerides, blood fats that may contribute to diabetes risk.