November is Diabetes Awareness Month. Diabetes is a disease that occurs when blood glucose or sugar is too high. While the underlying cause of Diabetes varies by type, both lead to excess sugar in your blood. The two most common forms of diabetes are Type 1 and Type 2. Type 1 diabetes is a condition in which the pancreas produces little to no insulin in the body. Type 2, affects the way the body processes blood sugar. While up until recently, the most common form of diabetes in children was Type 1, Type 2 diabetes is becoming increasingly more common. The main factors attributed to this shift are obesity, family history, as well as children becoming less and less active. Diabetes symptoms vary from person to person, but some of the main signs to look out for are:

• Fatigue
• Extreme hunger
• Increased thirst
• Irritability
• Unexplained weight gain or loss

While the thought of a child or loved one getting diagnosed with Diabetes can be scary, there are ways to help lower the risk of developing this disease:

• Reduce the amount of sugar and refined Carb intake in your daily diet.
• Implement a consistent workout regiment.
• Monitor portion sizes during meals.
• Increase the amount of water consumption each day.

Through awareness and by taking proactive initiative, there is hope that we can fight and slow the growth of this epidemic.