To decrease your risk, hold off on the sugar when it comes to beverages. This necessary change can greatly improve your health.

“Instead of ordering a sugary coffee, opt for plain black coffee sweetened with stevia. Just bring the stevia from home,” says Kristin Lund, a certified health coach specializing in diabetic nutrition. “And replace sugary soda with club soda sweetened with ginger and lemon or a hint of vanilla stevia. This is a great alternative that will decrease your diabetic risk factors.”

Smoking

We automatically associate smoking with lung cancer. But did you know that smoking can contribute to Type 2 diabetes, too?

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), smoking increases the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes by 30 to 40 percent. And heavier smokers have a higher risk.

Smoking makes it difficult to manage the disease at all for those who already have diabetes. As a result, the risk for heart and kidney disease, retinopathy and peripheral neuropathy are all elevated. Even more disturbing, it interferes with blood flow to the legs and feet, which ultimately can cause ulcers and may require amputation.

If you do smoke, consider quitting as soon as possible. Smokefree.gov offers free resources that can help start the journey to quitting today.

Sedentary Lifestyle

In truth, people spend more than half of their time sitting. However, sedentary lifestyle choices add to the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes. Take this, for instance. Each two- to four-hour block spent in front of the television can increase the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes by 14 percent. However, adopting an active lifestyle decreases the risk of developing this condition. Studies show that just one hour of brisk walking daily can lower risk by 34 percent.

Small changes can increase activity level greatly. Try standing while doing simple tasks like working on a laptop. This can burn up to 30 percent more calories.

Consult a doctor before making major changes, but movement can do wonders.

Obesity

Don’t dismiss added weight as something to deal with later. Obesity is the driving force behind the diabetes epidemic. One-third of American adults are obese, and nearly 90 percent of those with Type 2 diabetes are overweight. The question is: Why is obesity such a risk factor when it comes to diabetes? Being overweight affects the body’s ability to secrete insulin properly to keep blood sugar levels in check, increasing the chance of developing the disease.