Diabetes is a condition in which the body does not process sugar (glucose) properly. There are 20.8 million children and adults in the United States, or 7 percent of the population, with diabetes. While an estimated 14.6 million people have been diagnosed with diabetes, another 6.2 million people (or nearly one-third) are unaware that they have the disease.

The obesity epidemic only increases the burden of the illness and contributes to these numbers. Weight control, exercise, and good diet cannot be stressed enough. To learn more about type 1 and type 2 diabetes click here.

Signs and symptoms

http://www.diabetes.org/diabetes-symptoms.jsp

Risk factors

http://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/faq/basics.htm#4
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/type-2-diabetes/DS00585/DSECTION=4