[Editor note: A 2014 study from the Centers for Disease Control reported that 29.1 million Americans have diabetes. The video uses an older estimate.] 
Type 2 diabetes is caused by your genetic predisposition, but also your lifestyle choices. When it comes to these habits, the two main risk factors are not enough exercise and poor diet.

"It’s not just what we eat, it’s how much we eat," says Ronald Tamler, MD ,PHD, MBA, clinical director of theMount Sinai Diabetes Center in New York City. "You can eat a lot of healthy food, but if you eat a lot of it, it will contribute to the obesity epidemic that we have, and ultimately to type 2 diabetes."
Many patients often wonder if type 2 diabetes is reversible, but Dr. Tamler is hesitant to phrase it that way. “I don’t like the term reversible because [diabetes] is always a predisposition that you have. It’s always something that is with you, but it can go into remission."

Diabetes in remission means that a patient's blood sugar levels have returned to normal and they no longer rely on stabilizing medication. While you may not be able to control your genetic risk of the disease, it is possible turn back the clock on diabetes by changing your lifestyle.
"Eating differently, exercising more, more physical activity. But it can’t be a diet of just two or three months. It has to be that the way you live your life changes completely. Smaller portions sizes, healthier foods, no sugar sweetened beverages, and everything just in greater moderation" Tamler says.
The key to understanding diabetes is understanding that diabetes is a life-long struggle. Your diabetes may come back over time if the lifestyle changes you have made don’t stick.
To keep your diabetes in check, start by choosing the right foods. Andrea Rumschlag, RD, ofCleveland Clinic, recommends using "the plate method" at each meal. Make sure half of your plate is comprised of fruits and vegetables (mostly non-starchy vegetables), one quarter high-fiber whole grains, and one quarter lean protein.
Limit your red meat intake to once a week. "If you do eat red meat, you want to make sure you're eating lean red meats. And make sure you trim the visible fat so you’re not going to consume it,” Rumschlag says.
When it comes to bread, choose whole grain — 100-percent whole wheat instead of white bread. When choosing rice, look for brown rice or any other whole grain as a substitute — quinoa, a whole wheat cous cous, or another grain like farro — that’s going to have more fiber and more complex carbohydrates.
Carbs are not the enemy in a diabetes diet. The key is picking the right ones and proper amounts. Here's a simple tip for portion control: Buy smaller plates. You feel like you are eating more, so you won't pack as much on each time. Tamler recommends nine-inch dinner plates, and they have them everywhere.
One-third of all Americans are pre-diabetic and don't even know it. So if you think you might be, take a diabetes risk test online at www.diabetes.org. It only takes a few minutes — and could save your life!