A study published in the journal Diabetes Care, highlights the importance of the whole diet rather than focusing on certain foods or food groups that might be beneficial. A diet rich in whole grains, fruits and vegetables (leafy green), nuts and low–fat dairy may help people lower their risk of type 2 diabetes by 15% over 5 years than those who ate the lowest amounts of these foods. In contrast, adults whose diets were high in red meat, high–fat dairy, refined grains like white bread plus beans and tomatoes, saw their diabetes risk go up by 18% as a group. Type 2 diabetes is closely linked to obesity and it is well–known that maintaining a healthy weight through diet and exercise reduces the risk of developing the disease. Diet affects diabetes risk independent of a person’s weight.