When you look at the list of risk factors for developing type 2 diabetes you may see that there are some that you can control. Among them, being overweight and being inactive.

According to a recent report released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, almost 90 percent of diabetes are type 2, the form directly linked to obesity.

The latest government statistics have also revealed that West Virginia, South Carolina, Alabama, Georgia, Texas and Tennessee had the highest rates of diabetes – 11 cases per 1,000 people. West Virginia was the hardest hit, with 12.7 new diabetes cases for every 1,000 residents. According to a report released by the CDC in July, 25.6 percent of all Americans are obese, which puts them at risk for high blood pressure, diabetes and heart disease. The percentage is even worse in the South. In Alabama the obesity rate reached 30.3 percent and in Tennessee 30.1 percent. Minnesota, Hawaii and Wyoming had the lowest rates, about 5/6 per 1,000 people.

“The risk factors for type 2 diabetes include obesity and inactivity, and we know the South has a high prevalence of both obesity and physical inactivity when compared to the other regions in the United States,” said study author Karen Kirtland, a data analyst in the US CDC’s Division of Diabetes Translation.

A patient with type 2 diabetes is slowly losing the ability to correctly use insulin in order to convert sugar into energy. As a consequence, the sugar level grows threatening to damage the eye and the kidneys. The high level of sugar can also lead to heart diseases, kidney failure and limb amputations. Diabetes is more common in African Americans, Latinos, Native Americans, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.  

Studies emphasize the important role of physical activity in public health efforts to combat obesity. Recent studies have shown that 50 to 60 minutes of exercise a week or at least 55 minutes of exercise are enough for people who have lost weight and are trying to keep the weight off. Approximately 30 minutes a day, five days a week, of brisk walking should burn about 1,000 calories, researchers say.