[Diet and fitness in type 2 diabetes]

Fitness and dietary measures remain the corner stone of the treatment of type 2 diabetic patients. The two objectives of these measures are: (i) to improve the glycemic control and to normalize the biological abnormalities which are frequently associated with the diabetic state; (ii) to prevent the micro and macrovascular complications. All these measures should be simplified, and sufficiently attractive to be acceptable and accepted by the patient. Weight-loss objectives in overweight diabetic patients should remain within reasonable limits: a few kilogram- loss is sufficient in many cases. In order to maintain the palatability of the diet, the dietary fat intake must be set at sufficient high levels, just by adjusting the carbohydrates/monounsaturates fat balance. When physical training is recommended, this activity must appear as a leisure and not as a constraint. More generally the management plan should be multifactorial and avoid contradictory measures.