Diabetes is increasing at an alarming rate. Doctors say it has increased 70 percent among people in their 30s in the past decade. According to government statistics, people diagnosed with diabetes jumped 33 percent nationally between 1990 and 1998. Now, 6.5 percent of the population is diabetic. The rise was in all races and age groups but was sharpest among people in their 30s.
Experts closely tie obesity to the increase.
However, these numbers may not explain the full picture. These figures could underestimate the problem, because about one-third of American diabetics do not realize they have the disease. Insulin-dependent diabetes, or type 1 diabetes, is caused by damage to the pancreas. The pancreas contains cells called beta cells. Beta cells make insulin, a hormone that helps cells take in the glucose they need.