"I don't have diabetes," a woman in my office told me. "My doctor says it's just borderline."

In truth, there is no such thing as "borderline" diabetes. (It's kind of like being "borderline" pregnant.)

There is, however, a condition called "pre-diabetes" that describes blood glucose (sugar) levels not high enough to be classified as diabetes but not low enough to be called normal. According to criteria established by the American Diabetes Association, if you have a "fasting blood glucose" lab result between 100 and 125 milligrams per deciliter, you have "pre-diabetes."

What's the big deal? Ignore "pre-diabetes" and you will probably go on to develop full-blown type 2 diabetes for which there is no cure. Make some lifestyle changes while you are still in the "pre-diabetes" stage and you have a very good chance to reverse it.

Solid research has identified five behavior changes that can prevent or delay the onset of diabetes:

If you are overweight, lose at least 5 percent of your current weight. That's just five pounds for every 100 pounds you weigh. Even a modest weight loss helps to prevent diabetes.

Cut the fat to less than 30 percent of your total calories. Figure how many calories you eat each day and divide that number by 30 to get your "daily fat goal" (in grams). For example, if you eat 1,500 calories a day, your daily fat goal is less than 50 grams. (You can check out fat grams on food labels.)

Eat less saturated fat - no more than 10 percent of your total daily calories. Saturated fat is listed on food labels. An ounce of cheese, for example, contains about 6 grams of saturated fat.

Eat more dietary fiber - 25 to 30 grams a day. Since fiber is only found in plant foods, this is a sneaky way to get more fruit, vegetables, beans and whole grain foods into your diet. For instance, a cup of cooked beans contains 15 grams of dietary fiber. A cup of noodles contains 1 or 2 grams.

Exercise 150 minutes or more each week. That's at least 30 minutes a day five days a week.

The American Diabetes Association calls diabetes "one of the most costly and burdensome diseases of our time." Now we can do something to stop it before it happens.

Barbara Quinn is a registered dietitian at the Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula, Calif. Readers may send her an e-mail at bquinnchomp.org.