According to the American Diabetes Association (ADA), 16 million people in the United States, including an estimated 12,000 in Waco, have diabetes and one-third of them don't even know it. ADA statistics also show that 140 Central Texans died last year alone from diabetes complications. Diabetes is the leading cause of blindness, heart disease, limb amputations, stroke and kidney disease. Therefore, it is important to determine your risk and take extra special care of yourself.

Could you be at risk for diabetes? Warning signs include: extreme fatigue, irritability, blurred vision, unusual thirst or extreme hunger, muscle weakness and fatigue, unusual weight loss, excessive urination, cuts or bruises that heal more slowly than normal, frequent infections, and tingling or numbness in the hands or feet. See your doctor if you recognize any of the symptoms above, either in yourself or someone you love.

What exactly is diabetes? Many people assume (incorrectly) that diabetes is caused by eating too much sugar. In reality, diabetes is linked to how your body metabolizes (or processes) glucose--a sugar derived from the food you eat. When you eat, special cells in your pancreas produce a hormone called insulin. Insulin acts like a key, opening the door for your body's cells to use glucose in the bloodstream as a source of energy.

There are two primary forms of diabetes: type I and type II, in addition to other rarer types. A third form, gestational diabetes, usually occurs during the second or third trimester of pregnancy.

If you have type I diabetes (insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus), your pancreas make little or no insulin on its own. Without insulin, glucose can't be properly used. As a result, glucose starts to build up in the bloodstream--a condition called hyperglycemia. When this develops, your kidneys try to flush out the extra glucose through urine. This is why symptoms of diabetes include excessive thirst and frequent urination. Type I diabetes requires daily injections of insulin to allow the body's cells to properly use glucose for energy. The treatment of type I diabetes focuses on balancing insulin injections, diet, and exercise to achieve control of self-monitored glucose levels. It is believed that type I diabetes is an autoimmune disorder, with a tendency to run in families.

Type II diabetes (non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus) does not require insulin. In type II diabetes, your pancreas produces some insulin, but cells in the body don't use it properly. A family history of type II diabetes is a strong risk factor; so too is ethnic background. African Americans are 1.6 times more likely to develop type II diabetes than the general population; Hispanics are 2 times more likely, and American Indians are 2.7 times more likely to develop this form of diabetes. Living healthy with type II diabetes hinges primarily on careful attention to diet and exercise.

Gestational diabetes affects approximately 10 percent of all pregnant women; possibly causing problems for the newborn. This form of diabetes can cause babies to grow larger than normal in the womb. This makes delivery more difficult for both mother and baby--sometimes requiring delivery by cesarean section. Your chances for developing gestational diabetes increases if you're overweight (weighing 198 pounds or more during pregnancy), and if you have a family history of the disease. Your obstetrician/gynecologist can give you more information about this form of diabetes.

You've heard it time and time again--eating healthy and staying fit are good for you. Diabetes treatment requires a balancing act. The person with diabetes must juggle diet and exercise, along with insulin or oral medication (if prescribed) to ensure that blood glucose levels stay under control.