Time was, diabetes struck mostly in middle age. But in the past
8 years, the onset of diabetes among people 30 to 39 years of age
has skyrocketed by 70% -- enough for the American Diabetes
Association to call it an epidemic.
Sixteen million adults now have the disease. One major cause?
Rising obesity among young adults.
Diabetes can be especially grave when it strikes early. "The
younger you are when you get it, the tougher it is to avoid serious
complications such as blindness and loss of limbs," says Michael
Engelgau, MD, a diabetes researcher at the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention in Atlanta. "People in their 30s don't think
it can happen to them," says Dr. Engelgau, "but if the possibility
of diabetes isn't on their radar screen, it should be."
What You Can Do
The good news is that a recent Finnish study showed that three
simple diet changes can head it off. Even in people with impaired
glucose tolerance, a condition that often precedes diabetes, taking
these steps reduced the subjects' risk of progressing to diabetes
by 58% over 4 years. (Reported at American Diabetes Association
scientific sessions, June 2000
Aim for the three diet goals below. You can achieve each goal with
one little switch, as our examples show.
1. Lose 8 lb
To drop 8 lb in 1 year, do one of these:
Have flavored seltzer instead of a 12-oz can of Coke or Pepsi
-- four times a week (about 150 fewer calories a day)
Have a 1-oz bag of pretzels instead of a doughnut for coffee
break -- 5 days a week (about 120 fewer calories a day)
Have a Nutri-Grain Strawberries & Creme Twist instead of a
Frosted Strawberry Pop Tart for breakfast -- every day (about 75
fewer calories a day)