question: Diabetes (Prevention): Keeping an ideal body weight and an active lifestyle may prevent or delay the start of type 2 diabetes. If you're overweight, losing just 5% to 7% of your body weight even helps. Some medicines can also be used to delay or prevent the start of type 2 diabetes.   At this time, type 1 diabetes cannot be prevented. But there is promising research that shows type 1 diabetes may be delayed in some high risk people.