In the last decade, nutritional research on diabetes has provided scientific evidence-based nutritional recommendations for the prevention of type 2 diabetes in prospective epidemiological studies.The lifestyle factors consistently associated with increased risk of type 2 diabetes are (1) overweight, (2) high glycemic load and low fiber intake, (3) a high trans-fatty acid intake and a low ratio of unsaturated-to-saturated fat intake, (4) physical inactivity, and (5) absence or excess alcohol consumption. These factors are extremely common in western populations and therefore the potential impact of any intervention on them is really huge. The ability to correct these unhealthy behaviors in the population has been estimated to reduce the incidence of diabetes by as much as 87%.Data from intervention studies are only available for the effects of a multifactorial approach that includes weight reduction and increased physical activity. These studies show that a moderate weight reduction (5-7%) and a slight increase in physical activity (30 min/day) can reduce the incidence of diabetes.