Last updated 14 January 2011
People may be able to reduce their risk of developing type-2 diabetes by increasing the number of steps they take each day, scientists say.
Scientists at Murdoch Children's Research Institute in Melbourne carried out a study involving nearly 600 middle-aged people between 2000 and 2005.
Participants were asked to provide information on their diet and lifestyle at the start of the study, and were given a pedometer to measure their number of steps each day.
Scientists at Murdoch Children's Research Institute in Melbourne carried out a study involving nearly 600 middle-aged people between 2000 and 2005.
Participants were asked to provide information on their diet and lifestyle at the start of the study, and were given a pedometer to measure their number of steps each day.
The researchers found that people who walked the most over the five-year period tended to have a lower body mass index (BMI) and better insulin sensitivity, thereby reducing their risk of diabetes.
They calculated that an inactive person can achieve a threefold improvement in their insulin sensitivity by increasing their daily steps to 10,000 per day, compared to an inactive person who only increases their daily steps to 3,000 on five days a week.
Writing in the British Medical Journal, they concluded: 'These findings, confirming an independent beneficial role of higher daily step count on body mass index, waist-to-hip ratio and insulin sensitivity, provide further support to promote higher physical activity levels among middle-aged adults.'
The study coincides with new research from the University of California, Los Angeles, which helps to explain why drinking coffee may help to protect against diabetes.
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