The Educated Patient® Diabetes Resource Guide

Diabetes: A National Epidemic?

Diabetes is a group of diseases characterized by hyperglycemia (elevated blood sugar). Diabetes may be classified as type 1 or type 2. Type 2 diabetes is caused by genetics and “lifestyle factors.” These lifestyle factors are generally unhealthy eating habits and lack of exercise, which can lead to the weight gain associated with obesity. However, being obese does not necessarily mean that a person will develop type 2 diabetes. Other factors—including family history, ethnicity, and age—also play a role.

The most recent statistics show that in 2010, there were 25.8 million people in the United States living with diabetes. Of those, 18.8 million had a formal diagnosis of diabetes and the other 7 million were unaware of their condition, so they were not diagnosed and therefore were left untreated. Additionally, there were 79 million Americans with prediabetes, a risk factor for diabetes in which people have blood glucose that is elevated but not quite high enough for it to be considered diabetes.

Obesity, defined as a body mass index (BMI) of at least 30, is a primary risk factor for type 2 diabetes. The prevalence of obesity has been rapidly increasing in the United States. Based on data collected by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in 1995 there were no states in which more than 20% of the population was obese. Fast forward to 2010, when there were no states with less than a 20% obesity rate; in fact, 12 states reported obesity rates over 30%! The prevalence of type 2 diabetes has been rising along with the rise in obesity.

This Diabetes Resource Guide is your source for basic background information on diabetes and the treatments available. This Guide contains 20 different websites that feature articles on topics such as ways to address and improve lifestyle factors (such as diet), how to live day to day with diabetes, information about diabetes medications, online forums that you can join, and much more.

We hope you find this Diabetes Resource Guide helpful and informative for you and your family.

Click on the image below to download a .PDF version of the Diabetes Resource Guide.