Myths and Facts Diabetes is a serious disease that affects the body s ability to control the level of sugars in the blood.
Many people have diabetes but don t know it.
Diabetes is not caused by eating too much sugar as a child. Or your body may not be able to use the insulin it makes as well as it should. Sugar then builds up in the blood. High levels of sugar in the body damages blood vessels and can lead to kidney disease, nerve damage or blindness. Mexican Americans and Puerto Ricans have diabetes as young as 30 years of age.