Adults, middle-aged and up, can cut their risk of developing Type 2 diabetes by as much as 80% by adhering to a combination of just five healthy lifestyle habits, a new analysis from the National Institutes of Health. Those 5 factors and their impact are as follows: Healthy diet and Exercise combined accounted for a 28-29% risk reduction. Not Smoking for at least 10 years reduced it an additional 4%. Moderate alcohol consumption carved off another 7-24% of the risk and having a Body Mass Index (see the BMI tool in your journal to check) of 18.5 – 24.9 reduced it another 27 – 33%. 26 million Americans were diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes in 2010.