I think it is fair to say that the popular myth that Prediabetics and type 2 diabetics are lazy slugs who eat themselves into the disease is absolute nonsense!
It's a metabolic condition, and we are all unique. So if 20O people all ate and exercised identically, some of them would become pre diabetic, and some of those wouldn't, and some would go on to get diabetes.
However, once being pre or diabetic has been identified, there are a lot of ways that people can slow or halt the deterioration - but it usually takes some serious effort - and it is a lifelong commitment.
The general vague advice is 'diet and exercise' - and a lot of people take that as a few trips to the gym, and the 'healthy plate' advice handed out by the NHS.
Most people on this forum disagree strongly with that diet advice. Most of us have cut our carbohydrates, some of us go much further, and go very low carb. Generally we all use trial and error to find what works for us individually.