How to Prevent Type 2 Diabetes

Type 2 diabetes risk is shaped by a mix of genetics and lifestyle factors — and while genetics can't be changed, several lifestyle factors meaningfully affect risk for people who don't yet have diabetes or prediabetes.

What Actually Lowers Risk

• Maintaining a healthy weight, or losing weight if you're overweight — even modest weight loss (5–7% of body weight) has been shown to meaningfully reduce risk in high-risk individuals
• Regular physical activity — around 150 minutes of moderate activity per week
• A diet emphasizing whole foods — vegetables, whole grains, and lean protein, while limiting refined carbohydrates and sugary drinks
• Not smoking — smoking is independently linked to higher type 2 diabetes risk

Who Benefits Most From These Steps

These changes matter most for people with risk factors: excess weight, a family history of type 2 diabetes, a sedentary lifestyle, or a history of gestational diabetes. Our prediabetes guide covers the specific screening thresholds worth knowing if you're in a higher-risk group. For an overview of which tests — such as fasting plasma glucose, HbA1c, or an oral glucose tolerance test — are used to assess this risk, see our diabetes blood tests guide.

What Prevention Doesn't Guarantee

Type 2 diabetes has a real genetic component, and not everyone who develops it could have prevented it through lifestyle alone. Prevention efforts meaningfully shift the odds — they don't guarantee an outcome for every individual.