Simple eating habits can prevent prediabetes progression to diabetes.
In South Africa, where rates of diabetes and obesity are on the rise, there is a critical need for preventive action. New guidance from Harvard Medical School emphasises that making minor, achievable adjustments to dietary habits can effectively stop prediabetes from developing into Type 2 diabetes.
For many, a "prediabetes" diagnosis sounds like a warning siren. However, health experts state it should be viewed as an opportunity to make meaningful lifestyle adjustments and stop a serious chronic condition before it takes hold.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), South Africa has one of the highest obesity rates in Africa. Diabetes affects roughly 11% to 13% of the adult population, or over 4 million individuals.
It is now a leading underlying cause of natural death in the country and the primary killer among South African women, placing enormous pressure on families and healthcare systems. Prediabetes happens when blood sugar levels are higher than normal, but not yet high enough for a Type 2 diabetes diagnosis.
