Diabetes has been dramatically on increase for past century. Today about 23 million Americans are diabetic and one quarter of those are undiagnosed. Whereas people don’t generally die of diabetes, they just go blind or lose their limbs, it often leads to heart disease. And heart disease is our biggest premature killer.

Native Americans, who at one time had no diabetes, now have highest incidence in world. What happened? Traditionally, they had lived on an all natural, unrefined diet. Once they were moved to reservations, their only choice was a modern “white man’s diet” of refined foods. Since then, there’s been a huge jump in incidence of Native American diabetes. Among Pima Indians in Southwest Arizona, 40% of population are type 2 diabetics. Interestingly enough, they’re eating many of same foods that they were eating on their traditional diet. Only today, they’re using refined versions of those foods – refined corn products, refined sugars and refined grains.

Although we’ve known this information for many years, a peer review study just published in this month’s American Journal of Clinical Nutrition has proven that whole grains, such as brown rice, oatmeal and whole wheat, can help protect people from diabetes.

Who should lose weight? Health experts generally agree that adults who are overweight and have weight-related medical problems or a family history of such problems can benefit from weight loss. Some weight-related health problems include diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol levels, or high blood sugar levels. Even a small weight loss of 10 to 20 pounds can improve your health by lowering your blood pressure and cholesterol levels.  

Your body weight is controlled by number of calories you eat and number of calories you use each day. So, to lose weight you need to take in fewer calories than you use. You can do this by becoming more physically active or by eating less.

Following a weight loss program that helps you to become more physically active and decrease amount of calories that you eat is most likely to lead to successful weight loss. A weight loss program should also help you keep weight off by making changes in your physical activity and eating habits that you will be able to follow for rest of your life.

To lose weight and keep it off, you should follow a weight loss program that will work for you. Three types of weight loss programs commonly used include: do-it-yourself, clinical and non-clinical programs.

Any efforts to lose weight by you or with a group of like-minded others through support groups, worksite or community-based programs fits in "do-it-yourself" category. Individuals using a do-it-yourself program rely on their own judgment, group support, and products such as diet books for advice.