According to the American Diabetes Association:

• Every 17 seconds, someone is diagnosed with diabetes.
• Diabetes kills more people each year than breast cancer and AIDS combined.
• Recent estimates project that as many as 1 in 3 American adults will have diabetes in 2050 unless we take steps to Stop Diabetes.

Now is the time to act.

Factoring in the additional costs of undiagnosed diabetes, prediabetes, and gestational diabetes brings the total cost of diabetes in the United States in 2007 to $218 billion.

• $18 billion for people with undiagnosed diabetes
• $25 billion for American adults with prediabetes
• $623 million for gestational diabetes

Type 2 Diabetes, which used to be called adult-onset diabetes because it was so rare in children, is on the increase. According to the American Diabetic Association, diabetes is reaching epidemic levels as a result of the greater prevalence of obesity and sedentary lifestyles. Approximately 16 million people in the United States have diabetes; 90 to 95 percent of these have type 2 diabetes. See PubMed Health to read more.

The American Diabetes Association launched the Stop Diabetes® movement during American Diabetes Month (November) 2009. Since then, over 677,728 people have joined this movement to take a stand against this disease, demonstrating that even when it comes to a disease that affects each of us in different ways, we are stronger when we unite against it.

For the latest information and tools on learning about, preventing and managing diabetes, check the resources on MedlinePlus and the American Diabetes Association.

Also the display in Adult Services contains a supply of handouts available on the American Diabetic Association website, as well as books to help you manage your diabetes.