16 Million Overweight or Obese Americans Said to Have 'Pre-Diabetes'

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has issued guidelines for a new diagnosis called "pre-diabetes," a term that describes the 16 million overweight or obese Americans over 40 years of age who are at risk for type 2 diabetes but do not know it.

"Pre-diabetes" describes an elevated but not technically diabetic blood sugar reading. The goverment says it not only is a stepping stone to diabetes, but increases the risk of heart attacks, strokes and heart disease by 50 percent.

"The good news is if you have pre-diabetes, you can do something about it," said Health and Human Services Secreary Tommy Thompson. "We want people to know that pre-diabetes is a serious condition that can be reversed or alleviated with modest changes in their daily routines -- such as eating fewer calories and walking regularly for exercise."

Thompson said 17 million Americans now have either type 1 or type 2 diabetes, an increase of 8 percent over earlier estimates. Type 2 diabetes is linked closely to obesity, a condition that like diabetes has increased sharply in recent years.

A recent study showed that adult patients at risk of diabetes who through diet and exercise lost 5 to 7 percent of their body weight were able to cut their chance of becoming diabetic by more than half.

Other sources: DHHS