Twentysomethings may think they’re untouchable, but being physically unfit before middle age may set the stage for future health problems. Researchers tested the fitness of more than 3,900 men and women at an average age of 25 and then up to three more times over a span of 20 years. By the time the participants had reached middle age, researchers found that those who had been out of shape in their 20s were two to three times as likely to develop diabetes over two decades as those who had been fit. An even better predictor of middle-aged diabetes was the participants’ body mass index at the outset; it played a bigger role than their starting fitness level or initial blood glucose reading. The study did not look at whether getting more exercise could prevent diabetes.
Source: Diabetes Care, July 2009