Most of us are aware that living a healthy lifestyle that is filled with regular and consistent physical activity, a high quality nutritional diet that includes routinely consuming whole foods that are high in vitamins and minerals, and ensuring that we receive an adequate amount of rest, relaxation, and sleep are imperative to good health and mental wellness.

However, it is becoming more and more evident that this type of lifestyle needs to be incorporated at a much younger age than most people thought as many of the medical conditions and diseases that appeared to be reserved for the elderly are no longer the case. This being said, cases of cancer, diabetes, a variety of allergies, obesity, high blood pressure, and heart disease, just to name a few, are all occurring at younger and younger ages across the United States.

For instance, diabetes in teens is becoming an increasingly severe problem for America, according to a recent study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Approximately 9% of teens between the ages of 12 and 19 were diagnosed with diabetes or pre-diabetes in 1999. That figure rose to a staggering 23% by 2008, according to the researchers behind the study.

Diabetic or Pre-Diabetic, Obesity, and Heart Disease Risks on the Rise

Diabetes is a disease in which the body is unable to properly regulate blood sugar levels. In individuals with prediabetes, blood sugar levels are unusually high as well, but to a lesser extent than in people with diabetes. In the absence of healthy dietary and lifestyle changes, pre-diabetic individuals are likely to become diabetic. Subsequently, diabetes is considered a major risk factor for heart disease.

Approximately half of the overweight teens and 60% of the obese teens involved in the study carried at least one cardiovascular disease risk factor, such as high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol levels or diabetes.

According to the CDC researchers behind the study, the findings show that American teens are at a higher risk of developing cardiovascular disease than previously thought. The researchers noted that these risk factors tend to continue into adulthood unless treated, with treatment typically involving nothing more than eating a healthier diet and engaging in more physical activity. The researchers added that teens of a healthy weight should follow these recommendations as well, since it’s entirely possible to become diabetic without first becoming obese.

The Nature of the Study

During the study, researchers analyzed health information for 3,383 teens between the years of 1999 and 2008. Each subject submitted to both a physical examination and an interview. The study was somewhat limited in that the presence of diabetes or prediabetes was detected using a single blood test. During a typical medical visit, additional tests would be used in diagnosing diabetes.

The researchers came to the following conclusions after aggregating the study data:

• Roughly 33% of the teens were either overweight (BMI between 25 and 30) or obese (BMI above 30)

• 22% of the teens had high cholesterol

• 15% of the teens had prediabetes or diabetes over the course of the study period (though this figure rose to 23% by the study’s conclusion)

• 6% had low levels of “good” cholesterol

• 14% had high blood pressure

Diabetes in Teens: The Bottom Line

The percentage of teens classifiable as pre-diabetic or diabetic rose almost 2.5 times between 1999 and 2008, according to a CDC study. Today, almost 25% of individuals between the ages of 12 and 19 are considered pre-diabetic or diabetic. Diabetes is a major risk factor for developing cardiovascular disease later in life.

The full text of the study is available online in the medical journal Pediatrics.