Diabetes is on the rise in American youth, according to the SEARCH for Diabetes in Youth Study. Researchers analyzed data on young people from five major racial and ethnic groups—whites, African Americans, Latinos, Asians or Pacific Islanders, and Navajo Indians—and found that in all of them rates of both type 1 and type 2 diabetes are climbing. The findings show that among people under 20, rates of type 1 diabetes are highest for whites and lowest for Navajos. The opposite is true for type 2: Navajo youths were most affected and whites least. African American, Latino, and Navajo youth in particular tended to be obese, had poor control of their blood glucose, and had high blood pressure and high cholesterol. Previous studies have shown that diet and exercise can lower the risk of type 2.
Source: Diabetes Care, March 2009