OBJECTIVE: There is enough evidence that physical activity is an effective therapeutic tool in the management of type 2 diabetes. The present study was designed to validate a counseling strategy that could be used by physicians in their daily outpatient practice to promote the adoption and maintenance of physical activity by type 2 diabetic subjects. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: The long-term (2-year) efficacy of the behavioral approach (n = 182) was compared with usual care treatment (n = 158) in two matched, randomized groups of patients with type 2 diabetes who had been referred to our Outpatient Diabetes Center. The outcome of the intervention was consistent patient achievement of an energy expenditure of > 10 metabolic equivalents (METs)-h/week through voluntary physical activity. RESULTS: After 2 years, 69% of the patients in the intervention group (27.1 +/- 2.0 METs-h/week) and 18% of the control group (4.1 +/- 0.8 METs-h/week) achieved the target (p < 0.001) with significant (p < 0.001) improvements in BMI (intervention group 28.9 +/- 0.2 versus control group 30.4 +/- 0.3 kg/m2) and HbA1c (intervention group 7.0 +/- 0.1 versus control group 7.6 +/- 0.1%). CONCLUSIONS: This randomized, controlled study shows that physicians can motivate most patients with type 2 diabetes to exercise long-term and emphasizes the value of individual behavioral approaches in daily practice.
Copyright American Diabetes Association. Reprinted with permission from The American Diabetes Association.

Full text (sometimes free) may be available at these link(s):      help

• DOI
• PubMed
• PDF locator
• publisher