The sad reality is that the above estimates are seriously understated. The problem is actually twice as bad as there are another 17 million Americans that have "pre-diabetes", which is literally months to years away from progressing into full-blown diabetes.

So, in addition to paying $40 billion for colds in the United States, we are spending another $100 billion to manage diabetes. The common thread between both of these diseases is that the vast majority of them are treatable and nearly completely preventable by following the proper diet.

I believe it is important to aggressively screen for pre-diabetes, and you can find out how to do this be reviewing what I said last year:

Normal fasting blood glucose is below 100 mg/dl. A person with pre-diabetes has a fasting blood glucose level between 110 and 125. If the level rises to 126 or above, a person has full-blown diabetes.

My question is why would anyone wait for their blood sugar to get to 100 before they were concerned?

I have checked over 10,000 blood tests on my patients and can tell you quite confidently that the fasting blood sugar should be below 100.

Previously I believed the fasting blood sugar should be 87. It now seems that the numbers should be closer to 80. My definition of pre-diabetes is when that number rises above 100.

Pre-diabetes is far easier to turn around in the earlier stages than the later stages.

It is important to recognize that the new recommendations are for everyone over 44 years of age to have a fasting blood sugar as a screen. If you are overweight you should also have it every year.

Amazingly, 25 percent of obese children under 10 years of age had either blatant or pre-adult onset type 2 diabetes. So, it is never too early to screen for diabetes in obese individuals.

The top medical journal, NEJM, in May 2001 proclaimed that in fact one can "cure" type 2 diabetes with diet and exercise.

Dietary modifications were able to reduce the rate of diabetes by nearly 60 percent, and this was done even without understanding some of the most basic foundational truths of food choices. These investigators were absolutely clueless with respect to the influence of grain and sugar restriction on insulin optimization.

So if the traditionally recommended low-fat diet can reduce diabetes by 60 percent, if you use the modified food choice program you can reduce your risk of type 2 diabetes by well over 95 percent.

Undoubtedly, exercise also plays a major role in reducing risk of diabetes.

Considering that there are 15 million diabetics in the United States, and the epidemic is continuing to increase in the nation and worldwide (the condition affected about six percent of persons in developed countries in 1995), this is important information.

Diabetes is not something to play around with. It is a devastating illness that will gradually suck the life out of you and contribute to a life full of miserable health complications.

It is also one of the fastest ways to accelerate the aging process.

Related Articles:

'Pre-Diabetes' Tests Urged for Overweight Americans

Diet and Exercise Reduces Risk of Diabetes

Exercise Reduces Diabetes by Reducing Insulin

Exercise Helps Diabetics