Physical activity often reduces bodyweight. We know that being overweight is related to a higher risk of diabetes, so losing weight cuts risk. The Epidemic of Our Time Type 2 diabetes has been characterized as the epidemic of our time. It is a metabolic disorder resulting from the body's inability to make enough, or properly use, insulin. It strikes in adulthood and is responsible for more than 14 million cases of diabetes in the US and is the leading cause of new blindness and kidney disease.
Diabetes also causes nerve disease, heart disease, and stroke.
Each year, at least 190,000 people die from diabetes and its complications. Increasing age is also related to risk, with half of all cases found in Americans aged at least 55 years. With demographic trends in America showing an aging population that is increasingly overweight and sedentary, it is expected that rates of diabetes will continue to rise.