What is diabetes?
* a disorder of metabolism—the way the body uses or converts food for energy and growth
What are the main types of diabetes?
* type 1 diabetes
* type 2 diabetes
* gestational diabetes
What is the impact of diabetes?
* It affects 23.6 million people—7.8 percent of the U.S. population.
* It is a leading cause of death and disability.
* It costs $174 billion per year.
Who gets diabetes?
* people of any age
* people with a family history of diabetes
* others at high risk for type 2 diabetes: older people, overweight and sedentary people, African Americans, Alaska Natives, American Indians, Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, some Pacific Islander Americans, and Hispanics/Latinos
