Americans have been getting diabetes at an alarming rate over the past 10 years, according to a new report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Increases were reported among all adults, but the most dramatic increase -- a 70 percent jump -- was seen in people aged 30 to 39. This number is increasing every year. There are many people who have this life long disease and don't realize it. Each year 650,00 people are newly diagnosed with diabetes.

Diabetes is a malfunction of a person's metabolism -- the way our bodies use digested food for growth and energy.
In people with diabetes, the pancreas produces little or no insulin, causing glucose, the body's main source of fuel, to build up in the blood, overflow into the urine and pass out of the body. There are three main types of diabetes: insulin-dependent, in which patients must take daily injections of insulin; non-insulin-dependent, the most common kind of diabetes, and gestational diabetes, which develops and often ends after pregnancy.

Who gets diabetes?
People with family members who have diabetes, people who are overweight, and people who are African-American, Hispanic or Native American are all at greater risk for diabetes. Men and women are at equal risk for insulin-dependent diabetes. Older people, especially older women who are overweight, are at increased risk of non-insulin dependent diabetes.

How do I know if I have diabetes?
Some of the most common sign of diabetes are an almost constant thirst, frequent urination and fatigue. These signs are most often attributed to some other problem like working too much or stress when in essence it is diabetes.

What do I do to find out?
Check with your doctor if you suspect or have a family history of diabetes. The doctor will draw blood to check your blood sugar level.

How is diabetes treated?
Diabetes is a life-long condition. The goal of diabetes management is to keep blood glucose levels as close to normal as possible. Depending on the type of diabetes an individual has, that may mean taking insulin injections and/or adjusting dietary sugar intake.

Women's Health Center
Diabetes: Do You Have It?
by Sue Spataro, RN, BSN
Half of the people who have diabetes are unaware that they have the disease. This is dangerous because untreated diabetes may cause damage to the body. Learn more about the signs and symptoms and what you can do about it.

Health-Bytes-of-the-Week
Obesity in America
by Sue Spataro, RN, BSN
Over the last decade children, in the United States, have been gaining more and more weight.  Obesity is rapidly becoming an epidemic in our youngsters' lives.   Whether it's  all the fast food or lack of exercise, children are heavier than ever.

Comments:

Diabetes in Children
From: the Laura Winston
Dear Sue and Joe- It's so nice to see the Health-Byte promoting diabetes awareness. Considering your site is for families, perhaps another byte could be written about children with diabetes. My 8 year old has had the disease for almost 4 years now. One project she did last year was to create a diabetes page. IMHO it's a good start to finding out about the disease; there areplenty of links that are worth looking at. Thanks for all your efforts at the Homeschool Zone; it's been an invaluable resource to me over the past few years.  Sincerely,  Laura Winston

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