It could be that Caucasians may have emerged in an area where food intake was more plentiful, and perhaps they didn t have to develop the same defenses against famine as some other groups did. The good news is, these steps are all changes women can make fairly easily. Women need to keep weight gain to a minimum. For every one percent of her body weight a woman gains after high school, her risk for heart disease increases about five percent. For every same one percent gained, that woman s risk of developing diabetes increases by 10 percent.
Regular exercise is another critical defense against diabetes.
Simply increasing your walking to 20 minutes each day can decrease your risk dramatically. Finally, women need to make sure they re getting in five servings of fruit and vegetables a day. A healthy diet is key in preventing diabetes. 2001 Time Inc. All rights reserved.