It seems that every time we turn on the TV we hear news about the increase in diabetes in the America. It should come as no surprise that one of the major causes for the increase in diabetes is due to the obesity problem. Not only is obesity causing an upturn in diabetes, but it also contributes to heart disease, strokes and heart attacks. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) has reported that cases of diabetes have skyrocketed in the past several years. What is the number one reason for this? Obesity.

The Surgeon General has also said that as a nation, the number of overweight adults and children are 50% higher than they were just 10 years ago. This has led to a massive increase in Type 2 diabetes, which up until this point was an adult onset form of diabetes. Not anymore, children of all ages are now Type 2 diabetics.

Other recent studies have shown that of all the children born after the year 2000, over one third of them will develop Type 2 diabetes in their lifetime. This form of diabetes can lead to kidney failure, blindness, stroke and heart disease among others. It is a serious problem.

What is creating some of these problems? The answer is really very simple. One is how we eat. Most everyone is eating fast food once or twice a week at a minimum. Fast food is full of everything that is not healthy. High fats, carbohydrates and calories all lead to weight gain and in turn, the increased risk of getting diabetes. Fast food should be avoided, or at least reduced to only an occasional meal.

Along with the fast food comes the soda. Fast food restaurants and all convenience stores now serve up monster-sized sodas for everyone to consume. 48 oz or 64 oz cups of soda are now commonplace wherever you go. The sugar and carbs these drinks contain are enormous. The results? More and more children are getting diabetes just from drinking too much soda. (Some school systems are now removing soda machines from schools due to this epidemic)

One other factor that needs mentioning is the lack of any exercise most people do not get. Did you know that by only going for a brisk walk for 30 minutes, 3 times a week can prevent the onset of diabetes? Exercise helps prevent heart problems and many other health concerns. Even if you can only walk at a slow pace, that's ok. Any kind of exercising is going to help. You can start small and work up to a higher level. By losing just 5% of your bodies fat can help prevent you from becoming a diabetic.

Keep yourself educated about diabetes. Even if you are not at risk yourself, know the signs to look for in your family. Most people don't know that drinking a gallon of soda every day is going to lead to diabetes. They don't understand that that super-sized hamburger meal is loaded with carbohydrates that are contributing to the risk of diabetes. By understanding the causes for becoming a diabetic you can go a long way in starting to prevent it from occurring in you and your family.