Good Question: Can you prevent type 2 diabetes?

October 23, 2025 | 3 min read

Diabetes is one of the fastest-growing chronic conditions in Canada. Nearly six million Canadians are now living with diagnosed and undiagnosed diabetes, and experts forecast the number will grow by 32 per cent over the next decade.¹According to 2023 Manulife aggregate claims data, the number of people claiming diabetes medication is growing at approximately 8 per cent per year.²

In simplest terms, diabetes occurs when the body’s blood sugar remains too high. There are two common types. Type 1 is caused by an autoimmune reaction that prevents the pancreas from producing enough insulin, which regulates blood sugar levels. The development of type 2 diabetes is influenced by lifestyle factors (such as activity levels, diet, and sleep) and genetic factors, as well as other hormonal changes (such as pregnancy), preventing the pancreas from making enough insulin and reducing the effects of insulin in the body.

Type 2 diabetes is by far the most common type, now accounting for between 90 and 95 per cent of cases in Canada.³ It can accelerate or increase the risk of other health problems, including heart disease, kidney disease, and stroke,⁴ and greatly affect quality of life. “Diabetes is more than just a diagnosis,” says Ashesh Desai, head of Group Benefits at Manulife Canada. “It touches every aspect of someone’s life—from the simple pleasure of enjoying a meal with loved ones to the time and effort that can be required each day to manage the condition.”

Is it possible to prevent type 2 diabetes? We asked Dr. Steve Pomedli, primary care physician at Cleveland Clinic Canada, which is Manulife’s medical director, to share what the science says.

Dr. Pomedli: We know that while there are a number of risk factors out of our control, there are several strategies that can significantly help people lower their likelihood of developing type 2 diabetes. 

Dr. Pomedli: Type 2 diabetes is a polygenic disorder, meaning there are multiple genes that likely play a role in influencing things like insulin sensitivity, sugar uptake, and fat-to-muscle ratios in our body, which can influence the overall risk of diabetes. These genetic risk factors are out of our hands.

Age is another big non-modifiable risk factor. As we get older, we tend to be at increased risk of developing diabetes.

Certain hormonal changes, such as pregnancy or conditions like polycystic ovarian syndrome, or medications can also increase the risk of type 2 diabetes.

Dr. Pomedli: Several important factors over which we have more control can influence the risk of developing diabetes, especially lifestyle changes such as increasing physical activity, as well as improving nutrition and sleep.

And there are other factors, including treating or addressing related health conditions. For example, you can proactively manage conditions like high blood pressure and high cholesterol, both of which are associated with a higher risk of type 2 diabetes.

There are often warning signs that someone might be at higher risk for type 2 diabetes, including being diagnosed with prediabetes, a condition in which your blood sugar levels are elevated, but not enough to be classified as type 2 diabetes. Prediabetes can be treated, and potentially reversed or put into “remission,” through lifestyle changes such regular physical activity, dietary changes, sleep improvements, and weight management when needed, and with medications if needed.

Dr. Pomedli: In general, the more movement we add to our day-to-day lives, the more we can reduce our risk of type 2 diabetes. But there are a few types of exercise that are especially helpful.

We know that even small amounts of walking or light exercise, done strategically throughout the day, can take up sugar from our bloodstream and put it in our muscles, where it is used as energy. Small amounts of activity right after a meal can be especially helpful to keep blood sugar levels in a healthy range and, in the long run, help prevent diabetes.

We also know that resistance training or weight training can help build more muscle mass. Since muscle tissue is the single largest consumer of sugar in our body, more muscle creates more opportunity to take up sugar from the blood, which can also reduce the risk of developing diabetes. 

Dr. Pomedli: Dietary changes can be very effective in helping prevent type 2 diabetes. There are many diet plans out there to reduce risk, and many approaches can be successful in different ways. But we do see a few common elements across them.

The big one is reducing the intake of simple carbohydrates—specifically, refined sugars, often found in foods like white bread, white rice, and added to many products like drinks, sauces, or desserts. That’s important, because refined sugars absorb very quickly into our blood. In the short term, they overwhelm our body’s ability to deal with the sugar. In the long term, if we continue to consume too much refined sugar, our body has trouble keeping our insulin levels up to handle this sugar load, and our tissues also become less able to respond to insulin. Our resistance to insulin increases, and our blood sugar levels stay elevated, leading to diabetes. So, being mindful about what we’re eating on a regular basis can reduce that risk and mitigate the challenges.

Increasing fibre intake—by eating foods like lentils, whole-wheat pasta, artichoke hearts, and other whole fruits and vegetables—can also be helpful because fibre slows down the body’s absorption of sugar and improves sensitivity to insulin. Fibre also has other important benefits related to improving cholesterol, supporting gastrointestinal health, and even reducing the risk of certain types of cancer. 

Dr. Pomedli: This is an important topic. The relationship between weight and diabetes is sometimes oversimplified. Weight often isn’t the best measure of our metabolic health, but it’s sometimes used as a proxy for that.

That said, we do know that beyond certain points, additional body weight increases the risk of diabetes. Extra weight can influence a whole set of hormones and metabolic factors that increase insulin resistance, impact insulin production, and increase blood sugar levels—all of which contribute to the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. 

Dr. Pomedli: Disrupted sleep—and the stress on our body that it can cause—is a key contributor to the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Sleep needs vary by individual but, in general, we know that when sleep is insufficient, poor in quality, or disrupted, it increases stress levels, which affects a wide range of hormones and processes in our body. For example, when our sleep is frequently disrupted, it changes our circadian rhythms, appetite patterns, and hormones related to hunger and insulin (such as ghrelin and leptin) and increases cortisol levels. Cortisol can increase blood sugar levels on its own, but it can also have further impacts on how our body metabolizes sugar. All of these changes can influence our risk of diabetes. 

Dr. Pomedli: Type 2 diabetes isn’t something that happens over a few days or weeks. The risk factors gradually accumulate. Blood sugar may be elevated for many years before any symptoms appear. It can brew in the body for a long time—decades, even—while things might seem fine.

It can be hard for people to think about preventing or reducing the risk of diabetes now, because it feels like it’s never quite important enough to be a priority—until it really is. That’s why you might want to start considering how to reduce your risk even if you feel great, particularly if you have other risk factors or family members with type 2 diabetes. Understanding your own risk can shift the needle in how you think about type 2 diabetes, and influence your day-to-day habits to help prevent it, starting today. 

This article is for informational purposes only. It is not intended to diagnose or treat a condition. If you have questions or concerns about your specific situation or are seeking medical advice, contact your medical doctor or your health-care provider.

About Cleveland Clinic Canada
Manulife is proud to have Cleveland Clinic Canada on board as Medical Director for our Group Benefits operations. Cleveland Clinic Canada has a wealth of global healthcare expertise and shares our goal to help Canadians live longer, healthier, and better lives. Cleveland Clinic is a nonprofit organization that has been at the forefront of modern medicine since 1921. In recent years, Cleveland Clinic has worked with progressive companies in Canada and around the world to prioritize the health and well-being of their employees, customers, and communities.