Sugar and spice is not always so nice for the 20.8 million people who have diabetes, about 30% of whom are undiagnosed. Just the right balance of foods in controlled amounts eaten during carefully timed meals and snacks is vital for living well with diabetes. For another 41 million who are pre-diabetic, following the same basic guidelines improves their chances of remaining diabetic-free or delaying its start or severity.
Diabetes is a health condition of excess blood sugar resulting from inadequate or poorly functioning insulin, which is the body’s hormonal means of processing energy. The vast majority of diabetics are diagnosed as Type 2. Older age, obesity, family history of diabetes and physical inactivity increase risk for diabetes, and higher incidences are seen among African-Americans, Latinos, some Asian-Americans, Native Americans and Pacific Islanders. Children and adolescents are an emerging age group of increased diabetes diagnoses, particularly among the same ethnic groups.