You’ve almost certainly heard about the obesity trends in America, how we’re all getting fatter--including kids!

Now, a disturbing set of data shows how that problem is playing out in terms of very real disease in our young people.

It’s one of the worst diseases to have, and ironically, for most of us, it’s truly preventable. Diabetes is increasing in American kids—specifically, Type Two Diabetes--and it’s directly related to the fattening of our children.

“I use to eat stuff that weren’t healthy like barbeque chips, candy.” 13 year old Melissa Luna is one of the slightly more than 18 million Americans who have diabetes.

There are two types; type two, or adult onset diabetes, typically comes on later in life.

Now, while we have been watching Type Two Diabetes increasing among our youth—Melissa has it--we really haven’t known how bad the problem truly was…until now.

New research in the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine found what experts consider startling numbers: while around 39,000 US adolescents have Type Two Diabetes, more than 2 and a half million of them have what’s called impaired fasting blood glucose levels; .in other words, pre-diabetes.

They’re on the verge.

Dr. Stephen Turner, the Chief of Pediatrics at Long Island College Hospital, says, “ One of the things that we worry about, it can lead to failure of numerous organ systems, there is certainly an increased risk for heart attacks, they can effect the kidneys. So it is really critical to do what you can to avoid having diabetes.”

The reason for the diabetes: the fattening of our youth…

“About thirty five hundred calories is a pound, so if you eat 3,500 calories more than you need over a period of time you will gain a pound. A can of Coke is about 150, 160 calories. If you are drinking two cans of soda a day above what your needs are it wouldn’t take you that long , it would take you ten to twelve days to gain a pound, so you can gain weight very, very quickly if you are consuming to many calories,” instructs Dr. Turner.

Another reason: the worsening of the couch-potato status of teens.

Melissa has been working hard to improve her lifestyle.

“In the beginning it was very frustrating, she couldn’t accept it because she knew she had to give up all the junk food that she loved, so now eating healthier she finds it more fun than eating junk food, because she is more active now, so we are on the right track on the healthy diet food,” says Jenny Luna, Melissa’s mom.

But now, the good news out of another study just released: Consuming one less soda or candy bar and walking an extra 2,000 steps every day may help prevent excessive weight gain in children, researchers report.

“That is what we have to do, do plenty of exercise,” exclaims Melissa.

Two in three children were able to maintain or lower their weight simply by reducing their calories by less than the equivalent of an eight-ounce soda.

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