The “D” word is something that a lot of Americans really don’t give much attention until they find themselves constantly monitoring their insulin levels and dodging death on a daily basis.

But what exactly will help raise the odds that the average American won’t get diabetes in the first place? One ten-year study involving 200,000 men and women spread over eight states aims to explore the health habits that affect diabetes risk the most.

“The question we were trying to raise is whether there are added benefits to each individual lifestyle improvement you make, and it looks like that answer is definitely yes,” says lead study author and Ph. D. Jared Reis.

And these are the common traits they found in those least likely to be diagnosed with diabetes:

• Normal weight or a body-mass index below 25
• Nonsmokers that have never smoked or had effectively stopped smoking for at least 10 years
• Physically active with at least 20 minutes of sweat-inducing exercise three times a week
• Healthy diets that are rich in fiber, low on trans fat, few refined carbohydrates and a high ratio of polyunsaturated (good) to saturated (bad) fats
• Little to no drink where alcohol is consumed in moderation if at all.