For years, doctors have warned about the consequences of the epidemic of obesity in this country. Now one of the most serious, diabetes, is on the rise. Type 2 diabetes jumped 70 percent in the past decade among people in their 30s, according to the Centers for Disease Control and prevention. (In the same period, obesity increased 61 percent.) many of the estimated 8 million women with diabetes don’t even know they have it. “Not everyone will have symptoms when diabetes is in its earliest stages,” says Christopher D. Saudek, M.D., president of the American Diabetes Association (ADA).. the ADA urges women who have risk factors or symptoms to get tested. “Women must take charge before it’s too late.”
At risk are the obese or those with a family history of diabetes or who developed gestational diabetes while pregnant. Early symptoms include fatigue, excessive thirst or urination, or recurring yeast infections. Left untreated, diabetes can damage eyes, kidneys, nerves and arteries.
Saudek says at-risk women need to exercise and maintain a balanced diet. A study found that high-risk people who walked 30 minutes a day and lost 15 pounds cut their diabetes risk by 58 percent. – Meredith Franco
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