26 million Americans are impacted by diabetes. A quarter of those individuals are not even aware that they have the disease and can live for years without knowing it until more serious complications arise.
Today marks the 23rd Annual American Diabetes Association Alert Day, which is a one day “wake-up” call to Americans to determine if they are at risk for developing type 2 diabetes, or if they may already be affected and not realize it. The ADA is looking to rally one million people to take the Diabetes Risk Test over the course of the next month as part of their “Join the Million Challenge”.
In addition to the 26 million diabetic Americans, approximately 79 million have prediabetes which means their blood sugar is higher than normal but not yet to diabetic levels. That is one in three American adults currently at high risk for developing type 2 diabetes. The good news is that there are ways to help prevent or delay type 2 diabetes among those at risk. Losing just 7% of body weight through regular physical activity (30 minutes a day, 5 days a week) coupled with healthy eating can reduce your risk.
The Diabetes Risk Test is provided by the American Diabetes Association to help individuals determine their risk. All people have to do is answer simple questions about their weight, age, family history and other potential risk factors. You can get the test by visiting www.stopdiabetes.com, calling 1-800-DIABETES, or texting JOIN to 69866. While the Alert Day is today, the Diabetes Risk Test is available year-round.
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