Themed Review: Lifestyle Interventions Across the Continuum of Type 2 Diabetes: Reducing the Risks of Diabetes

Type 2 diabetes is a progressive disease that results from defects in insulin action (insulin resistance), insulin secretion (insulin deficiency), or both. The progressive decline in β-cell function requires that medical therapy progress from lifestyle interventions for prevention of diabetes to medical nutrition therapy (MNT) alone for diabetes management to MNT in combination with glucose-lowering medications that target the multiple pathophysiologic aspects of diabetes to MNT with insulin. MNT also progresses from prevention of obesity or weight gain to improving insulin resistance to contributing to improved metabolic control of glucose, lipids, and blood pressure; however, MNT is important throughout the continuum of diabetes and its medical management. Early diagnosis and aggressive therapy decrease the risk of diabetes-related complications.