Type 2 diabetes is a serious condition that has now reached near-epidemic levels. With these facts, you can help spread diabetes awareness.
Medically reviewed by Pat F. Bass III MD, MPH
As we enter Diabetes Awareness Month in the United States, health experts are hoping to put a renewed effort into fighting the diabetes epidemic. Type 2 diabetes is a serious health condition that not only affects your lifestyle, but can put you at risk for many other health issues, including high blood pressure, stroke, and nerve damage. Many Americans are at risk for type 2 diabetes, and the diabetes population continues to grow around the world.
“Diabetes and its twin calamity, obesity, is a problem not only in this country. It is a global problem, surpassing malnutrition,” says Joel Zonszein, MD, of the Clinical Diabetes Center at Montefiore Medical Center in New York City.
If you look at the growing number of people with diabetes, particularly type 2 diabetes, it’s easy to see why health experts are saying we have a diabetes epidemic. Here’s a look at the numbers:
- An estimated 366 million people around the world have diabetes, or about 5.2 percent of the global population.
- There are 4.6 million diabetes-related deaths each year.
- About 25.8 million Americans have diabetes, or about 8.3 percent of the population.
- About 95 percent of Americans with diabetes have type 2 diabetes.
In adults 20 years and older, nearly 2 million new cases of diabetes were diagnosed in 2010. Those cases are part of the more than 8 percent of Americans with diabetes, but the American Diabetes Association (ADA) estimates that by 2050 more than 30 percent of American adults could have diabetes.
A big concern with diabetes is that many people are unaware that they have the condition. An estimated 7 million people have undiagnosed type 2 diabetes, which is frightening considering that diabetes requires constant care. This is one reason why diabetes awareness is so important.
What’s Behind the Risk of Type 2 Diabetes
Genetics, or family history, is an important risk factor for type 2 diabetes for many people in this country, says Dr. Zonszein. But by far the biggest risk factor is a poor diet and unhealthy weight.
“Obesity is a growing health problem that results from overeating — especially an unhealthy diet — and not enough exercise,” he says. “With increasing urbanization and changing modes of transportation, it’s no wonder that obesity has rapidly increased in the last few decades around the world.”
Being overweight puts a strain on your body and can cause a number of health conditions, including heart disease, high blood pressure, arthritis, and of course, diabetes. As more people have become overweight, the number of people with these conditions has also grown. Therefore, the biggest components of diabetes prevention are a healthy diet and exercise tomaintain a healthy weight.
Diabetes Among Young People
Diabetes is affecting more younger people than ever before. At one time, type 2 diabetes was called “adult-onset diabetes,” as it was primarily diagnosed in people 40 years or older. Over the past two decades, says Zonszein, health care providers have been seeing more and more children with type 2 diabetes. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 215,000 children and teens now have diabetes.
“The epidemic of obesity and the low level of physical activity among young people, as well as exposure to diabetes in utero, may be major contributors to the increase in type 2 diabetes during childhood and adolescence,” Zonszein explains.
To fight these numbers, parents, teachers, and other adults can teach children how to make healthy food choices and stay active, whether through sports, playing with friends, or walking, biking, and jogging more often.
The Prediabetes Scare
Another aspect of the diabetes epidemic is the growing number of people who have prediabetes — a condition where a person’s blood sugar level is higher than normal but not high enough to be diabetes. According to the ADA, 79 million people in the United States have prediabetes.
It’s important for people with prediabetes to make lifestyle changes to protect their health. Studies have shown that prediabetes is likely to develop into diabetes within 10 years. “Before people develop type 2 diabetes, they almost always have prediabetes,” says Zonszein. In addition, prediabetes may put you at risk for heart disease and stroke.
If you have diabetes, encourage your loved ones to get tested. Testing for prediabetes and making the lifestyle changes necessary to keep it from developing into full-blown diabetes are the best steps someone can take to protect their health.
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