Diabetes is one of the most obvious areas of concern with overweight people with a large number of the population suffering from diabetes and the related health problems that this disease can bring with it. Many people are unaware that diabetes is the leading cause of blindness. And diabetes is also a major cause of kidney disease.

In addition to this, diabetes increases your chance of having heart disease and suffering from a stroke by almost 400%.

Obesity is now an epidemic in the United States and many in the medical community believe that this is contributory to the corresponding diabetic epidemic. It is the general consensus of the medical community that obesity is a precursor to Type II diabetes.

It is a misconception to think that people contract diabetes only through excessive consumption of sugars. It is not only sugar that contributes to the disease. While it is good to eliminate the use of excessive sugar in your diet, carbohydrates are also contributory to the onset of diabetes. One way on how to prevent diabetes is becoming aware of the Glycemic Index.

The Glycemic Index is very helpful in preventing diabetes because it rates different carbohydrates based upon their effect on the different levels of blood glucose. Those foods that digest rapidly cause the less harm to the system and have a low glycemic index. The carbohydrates that take a longer time to digest have a higher rate as they cause more harm to the blood glucose level.

The Glycemic Index ranges from one to one hundred. A low food in the glycemic index has a rating of below 55. These include fruits, vegetables, whole grains and some pastas. Foods that fall between the 56 to 69 range are considered "medium" in the Glycemic Index. They include candy bars, croissants and some rices.

Surprisingly, although a candy bar scores in the medium classification of the glycemic index, it is not as harmful as those carbohydrates that score in the high glycemic index range. These include corn flakes, white rice, white bread and baked potato.

Insight into the glycemic index is imperative for anyone who has diabetes or who has been diagnosed as borderline diabetic. To be able to understand which foods have the most impact on blood glucose levels is crucial for anyone fighting this potentially life-threatening condition.

Signs of diabetes include frequent urination, increased thirst and desire for fluids and may also include an increased appetite. In many cases, a person with Type II diabetes feels generally unwell but cannot figure out what is wrong. Symptoms can mirror the flu or other illnesses. If you are experiencing frequent thirst, excessive urination and a substantially increased appetite, have yourself checked out for diabetes.

Even a small reduction in body fat can have quite a substantial effect on your overall quality of health and it will also help to reduce the possibility of you suffering from other diseases later in life. So begin an exercise regime, even if it only entails walking. Take a look at the Glycemic Index that explains which foods diabetics should avoid and follow these suggestions.