Last weekend I participated in the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) Walk to Cure Diabetes at Kings Island in Cincinnati. I participated to support my co-worker, Ana Guzman, in her 20th year having Diabetes. Thanks to my wonderful family and friends, I was able to surpass my fundraising goal! We had a great time for a great cause! I thought about people in my family who have diabetes and walked for them too.
Diabetes is a growing epidemic in our country, especially among youth. Here are some shocking facts about diabetes (as taken from the American Diabetes Association):
Total: 23.6 million children and adults in the United States—7.8% of the population—have diabetes.
Diagnosed: 17.9 million people
Undiagnosed: 5.7 million people
Pre-diabetes: 57 million people
New Cases: 1.6 million new cases of diabetes are diagnosed in people aged 20 years and older each year.
Under 20 years of age: 186,300, or 0.22% of all people in this age group have diabetes
About one in every 400 to 600 children and adolescents has type 1 diabetes.
2 million adolescents (or 1 in 6 overweight adolescents) aged 12-19 have pre-diabetes.
To find a walk near you, visit The JDRF Walk to Cure Diabetes website.
