Today is World Diabetes Day, a campaign led by the International Diabetes Federation that promotes diabetes awareness and advocacy. So to mark the occasion, we’ve gathered everything you need to know about the chronic disease that affects 29.1 million Americans. From common misconceptions to the good-for-you habits that can reduce your risk, make sure these facts are on your radar now so you can stay healthy later.
1. One-third of Americans are thought to have prediabetes. Before full-blown diabetes often comes prediabetes, a condition in which blood sugar is higher than normal but not so high that an individual is considered diabetic. A whopping one in three Americans suffers from this precursory condition—and 70 percent of those people will go on to develop type 2 diabetes. Most people who have it don’t know (we’re talking like 90 percent), so take this super-quick quiz from Omada Health to assess your risk.Â
2. You don’t have to be overweight to develop type 2 diabetes. You might imagine the typical type 2 patient to be heavy and inactive—and think you’re in the clear if you don’t fit that description. But more and more, the condition is becoming a problem for the young and thin, too. About 15 percent of people with type 2 diabetes aren’t overweight—but that doesn’t mean that they’re healthy. The culprit is what has become known as “skinny-fat.†Translation: You might look healthy on the outside, but any number of unhealthy habits will have your insides behaving as if you are obese—putting you at risk of developing diabetes.
3. Diet soda might be a trigger. You know that diet soda isn’t good for you—but did you know that your guilty pleasure might also lead to an added risk of developing diabetes? According to research published in the journal Nature, consuming artificial sweeteners led to signs of glucose intolerance, often a precursor to larger illnesses, such as type 2 diabetes. And that’s not the only reason to kick the habit.
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4. Your coffee habit could help keep diabetes at bay. Good news, coffee guzzlers: In a study out of Harvard School of Public Health, researchers found that serious coffee drinkers—a.k.a. ones that knocked back four to six cups daily—had a 29 to 54 percent lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes during the 18-year study. Before you start upping your caffeine consumption, though, remember that by “cup,†we mean the standard eight ounces—so don’t go slurping down six grande lattes a day.
5. You up your risk when you skip breakfast. A study found that full-time working women who sometimes missed their morning meal had a 54 percent higher risk of being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes than those who ate it on a daily basis. You might think that this link is all about how you might gorge and gain weight later—but the connection is more direct. When you go to bed, your insulin level is stable, and when you don’t eat in the morning, your insulin level drops—and then spikes and crashes when you eat at lunch. This constant yo-yoing in insulin levels can cause your body to build up an insulin resistance, which can lead to type 2 diabetes.
6. Diet and exercise aren’t the only important factors in reducing your risk. It’s true that dropping even 10 pounds significantly slashes your risk of developing diabetes, but monitoring your diet and exercise sometimes overshadows two other important things that need your attention: sleep and stress. Chronic stress can make your blood-sugar levels skyrocket, and regularly getting less than six hours of shut-eye can double your diabetes risk. To stay at your healthiest, eat well and get your exercise, but also find a source of relaxation and make sure you’re getting enough sleep.Â
7. You can assess your own risk. Blood tests are the only surefire way to predict your diabetes risk, but you can get a relatively accurate assessment on your own by answering only 10 questions and tallying up your score. Assess your risk and find out how urgent it is to take preventative measures here.
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