The importance and strategy of diabetes prevention

Diabetes has become one of the largest public health problems to date. Decreased physical activity, overnutrition, and nutrition transitions caused by changes in lifestyle contribute to the increasing incidence of chronic metabolic diseases as well as deaths related to them. The shift from undernutrition to overnutrition indicates that chronic diseases of affluence have become a public health problem; hence, sustainable health-related goals have been developed for the prevention of these diseases. Environmental factors and the gut microbiota influence metabolism in the human body. Several studies have proven that lifestyle interventions can effectively deter the progression of diabetes in individuals with impaired glucose tolerance. If the window of prevention is shifted earlier, diabetes may become a fortuitous event. Effective prevention needs high attention from the government and the participation of all citizens. Concrete scientific and reasonable measures also need to be developed by experts and scholars.