Women who gain weight around their middle – an apple shape – are up to six times more liely to develop Type 2 diabetes compared to ‘pears’ with weight around their hips, buttocks and thighs. Fat around the tummy is visceral fat that makes hormones and inflammatory markers that increase the risk of insulin resistance and diabetes. The good news is that when you lose weight, visceral fat is often lost first, lowering your risk of diabetes by up to 60 per cent.

About 23 per cent of adults regularly miss breakfast. This disrupts insulin production and increases waist circumference, which boosts diabetes risk. Risk also increases because you’re more likely to eat unhealthy things later in the day. So eat breakfast and choose healthy, filling options such as wholegrain cereals, baked beans or poached eggs on wholegrain toast, fresh fruit and low-fat yogurt.

Researchers at the Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute in Melbourne are investigating how the number of hours we spend sitting at work can impact our diabetes risk. It seems loss of muscle contraction when sitting may impair the body’s ability to clear glucose and fat from the blood. Standing for two minutes every 20 minutes is proven to help.

(Read more: Why Being Slim May Not Be Healthy)

PCOS affects 12 to 18 per cent of women and 65 to 80 per cent of those have insulin resistance and are at increased risk of diabetes. Women with PCOS are prone to put on weight because of their insulin resistance. They put on two to three kilograms a year, while the average woman puts on 600 to 700 grams. Minimising weight gain can improve insulin levels and reduce symptoms of PCOS such as acne, excess hair, and fertility problems.

A study of 70,000 women by Tulane University in New Orleans found those who drank 180ml or a glass of fruit juice a day had an 18 per cent increased risk of diabetes. Fruit juice sugars are absorbed quickly and this causes a rapid spike in blood sugar levels, whereas fruit eaten as a whole is digested slowly. Try switching to plain water instead to lower your risk of diabetes.

Snoring can be a sign of sleep apnea, when the upper airways narrow or collapse and people experience low oxygen levels. A study at Yale University found people with sleep apnea are 2.5 times more likely to develop diabetes, possibly because it increases cortisol, which disrupts insulin production. Sleep apnea is more common in people who are overweight, so weight loss helps.

(Read more: Do This To Get The Healthy Sleep You Need Tonight)

Three to eight per cent of women develop gestational diabetes when they are expecting. Women who have gestational diabetes have at least double the risk of Type 2 diabetes. Losing five kilograms between pregnancies cuts the risk of developing gestational diabetes in your next pregnancy from about 70 per cent to 25 per cent. Women should also test their blood glucose levels every two years after gestational diabetes.

Being short on sleep raises stress and increases levels of the hormone cortisol. Too much cortisol is linked to a dysfunction of the pancreas cells that make insulin, so the insulin you make doesn’t work as well. Boston University researchers also found that those who sleep five hours or less are 2.5 times more likely to develop diabetes that people who sleep seven to eight hours. So know how much sleep your body needs.

The Harvard School of Public Health found that women who work three or more night shifts per month are at a higher risk of Type 2 diabetes. Those who work a rotating night shift for three or more years face a 20 per cent increased risk and after 10 years or more there’s a 40 per cent increased risk. That’s because shift work increases cortisol production, which predisposes people to diabetes.

(Read more: How To Become A Morning Person So You Can Truly Rise And Shine)