Are You at Risk?

Updated: September 30, 2008

Obesity is on the rise-- the U.S. Surgeon General reports that 16 percent of American teens are overweight, and that number is rising. It's no surprise that doctors are seeing an increase in teen weight-related illnesses, such as Type 2 diabetes.

Type 2 diabetes is a disease where the body does not make enough insulin -- a hormone that helps convert sugars, starches and other food into energy that is needed in everyday life.

Diabetes can cause life-threatening complications to the body's organs. The pancreas does not make enough insulin, a hormone that helps your body process sugars and starches into energy. Without enough insulin, your body becomes starved for energy and too much sugar remains in the blood, which can lead to blindness, kidney disease and nerve damage.

It's not all bad news however. Living a healthy lifestyle lowers your chances of developing Type 2 diabetes, and this page will show you what you can do to reduce your risk.

So how much do you know about health habits that can ward off diabetes? Click below to take the quiz and check out our interactive diagram. You can also watch video to see what life is like for one teen living with diabetes and find links to more resources on diabetes. To your health!

For more information:
The National Institutes of Health just released a new diabetes resource just for teens! Go to www.yourdiabetesinfo.org