Similar to the trends seen with obesity, diabetes has been increasing in the U.S. in recent years. Between 1994 and 2004, there was a dramatic increase in the number of people with diagnosed diabetes in the U.S. Over the past 25 years, the prevalence of diabetes has more than doubled. It is thought that the increase in diabetes is due largely to an increase in type 2 diabetes that is being driven by three major trends in the U.S. population:

•An aging population
•A growing number of racial and ethnic minorities
•A dramatic increase in overweight and obesity – serious risk factors for developing the disease onal Diabetes Surveillance System, 2005.

Source: CDC National Diabetes Surveillance System, 2005.