November 2020
88 million American adults (more than 1 in 3) have prediabetes — blood sugar levels that are higher than normal but not high enough yet to be classified as type 2 diabetes. 2 in 5 Americans are expected to develop type 2 diabetes in their lifetime. (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
Parents should talk to their child’s health care provider about testing for type 2 diabetes. Adults aged 18 and over can take a 1-minute risk test at www.cdc.gov/diabetes/risktest.
Eating a healthy diet and regular physical activity is really important if you have prediabetes or diabetes. Regular physical activity helps you maintain your weight, feel happier, sleep better, improve your memory, control your blood pressure, and lower LDL (“bad”) cholesterol and raise HDL (“good”) cholesterol.
Tips for getting started with regular exercise.
Managing diabetes can be hard. Sometimes you may feel overwhelmed. Pay attention to your feelings and talk to someone either health care providers, family, friends or all of the above about what you are going through. In addition, you may find diabetes support in an online community.