November is American Diabetes Month. According to the American Diabetes Association,recent estimates project that as many as 1 in 3 American adults will have diabetes in 2050 unless steps are taken to stop diabetes. Nearly 26 million children and adults in the United States have diabetes and another 79 million Americans have prediabetes and are at risk for developing type 2 diabetes.
Risk factors for diabetes include:
- overweight
- high blood sugar
- history of diabetes in pregnancy
- high blood pressure
- unhealthy cholesterol
- physical inactivity
- smoking
- unhealthy eating
- age,race,gender and family history
Diabetes is a serious debilitating and costly disease. Two out of three people with diabetes die from heart disease or stroke. The national cost of diagnosed diabetes in the United States is $174 billion.
It's time to get serious about what we can do personally and for our families in preventing this devastating chronic disease. Ask yourself--
- Do I eat a healthy diet?
- Do I exercise daily?
- Do I maintain a healthy weight?
- Do I smoke?
You can find more information about diabetes at
http://www.diabetes.org/. and the important role of dairy in preventing diabetes at
http://www.nationaldairycouncil.org/.
I'm taking the pledge to STOP DIABETES. Will you?
