Question:
Aren't you confusing prevent with cure? The current thinking, it seems, is
that T2DM is one of the end points of insulin resistance. So if there are
dietary changes that can slow down or stop the development of insulin
resistance, then those changes should help prevent the onset of T2DM. You
may be born with a TENDENCY to develop diabetes, but whether or not you
actually DO develop it is thought to be a function of your dietary history,
among other things. Or at least that seems to be what Drs. Atkins, Eades,
Schwartskopf and others are writing about these days.
Answer:
The first problem is how to determine whether "prevention" actually
occurred. It is very difficult to predict which particular person
would eventually be Type 2 diabetic.
So often these "studies" are merely hype. Not to say eating healthfully
doesn't help us with a variety of illnesses; just having a good
WayOfEating and WayOfLiving prevents diseases by that healthy body being
better able to fight off diseases.
If you are insulin resistant or have impaired glucose tolerance or are
"borderline" diabetic, IMHO you already have diabetes. You might not
have glucose readings that officially confirm the diagnosis, but the
cause of those maladies is the same cause as Type 2 diabetes. And the
appropriate treatment is the same: dietary modification, exercise if
possible, medication if necessary.
Those who have a family history of Type 2 diabetes are more likely than
others to get diabetes. They may never get diabetes. But if they are
destined to get diabetes, they will accellerate the manifastation if
they have a less-healthy lifestyle. IMHO, that destiny can only be
delayed, it cannot be prevented.
