American Diabetes Association Alert Day

American Diabetes Association Alert Day®

American Diabetes Association Alert Day® is a one-day "wake-up call” asking the American public to take the Diabetes Risk Test to find out if they are at risk for developing type 2 diabetes. Held on the fourth Tuesday of every March, the next Alert Day will be held on March 26, 2013.

The Diabetes Risk Test asks users to answer simple questions about weight, age, family history and other potential risk factors for prediabetes or type 2 diabetes. Preventative tips are provided for everyone who takes the test, including encouraging those at high risk to talk with their health care provider.

Although Alert Day is a one-day event, the Diabetes Risk Test is available year-round. Stay tuned for more information about Alert Day in 2013!

American Diabetes Association Alert Day® is sponsored in part by: Janssen Pharmaceuticals

Dietary Guidelines

Dietary Guidelines for Americans

Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2010

U.S. Department of Agriculture; Department of Health and Human Services.

Provides science-based nutrition guidance for Americans ages 2 and older to promote healthy lifestyles and dietary habits. Also in PDF|3 MB.

• Executive Summary (Includes Key Recommendations). (PDF|227 KB)
• Backgrounder. (PDF|40 KB)
• Questions and Answers. (PDF|358 KB)
• Selected Messages for Consumers. (PDF|165 KB)

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Let's Eat for the Health of It (PDF | 1 MB)

USDA. Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion.

Based on the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2010, brochure provides tips for building a healthy plate, eating the right amount of calories for you, being physically active, and more.

World American Diabetes Day

TYPES OF DIABETES

There are three main types of diabetes:

Type 1 diabetes is sometimes called insulin-dependent, immune-mediated or juvenile-onset diabetes. It is caused by an auto-immune reaction where the body’s defence system attacks the insulin-producing cells. The reason why this occurs is not fully understood. People with type 1 diabetes produce very little or no insulin. The disease can affect people of any age, but usually occurs in children or young adults. People with this form of diabetes need injections of insulin every day in order to control the levels of glucose in their blood. If people with type 1 diabetes do not have access to insulin, they will die.

Type 2 diabetes accounts for at least 90% of all cases of diabetes.
Type 2 diabetes is sometimes called non-insulin dependent diabetes or adult-onset diabetes, and accounts for at least 90% of all cases of diabetes. It is characterised by insulin resistance and relative insulin deficiency, either of which may be present at the time that diabetes becomes clinically manifest. The diagnosis of type 2 diabetes usually occurs after the age of 40 but can occur earlier, especially in populations with high diabetes prevalence. Type 2 diabetes can remain undetected for many years and the diagnosis is often made from associated complications or incidentally through an abnormal blood or urine glucose test. It is often, but not always, associated with obesity, which itself can cause insulin resistance and lead to elevated blood glucose levels.

Gestational diabetes (GDM) is a form of diabetes consisting of high blood glucose levels during pregnancy. It develops in one in 25 pregnancies worldwide and is associated with complications in the period immediately before and after birth. GDM usually disappears after pregnancy but women with GDM and their offspring are at an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes later in life. Approximately half of women with a history of GDM go on to develop type 2 diabetes within five to ten years after delivery.

Other specific types of diabetes also exist.

Dietary Guidelines

Dietary Guidelines for Americans

Planning Has Begun for the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2015

The Dietary Guidelines encourage Americans to focus on eating a healthful diet—one that focuses on foods and beverages that help achieve and maintain a healthy weight, promote health, and prevent disease. The next round of guidelines will be distributed in 2015.

Learn more about the
Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2015.

A healthy diet can reduce the risk of major chronic diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, osteoporosis, and some cancers.

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2010 provides evidence-based nutrition information and advice for people age 2 and older. They serve as the basis for Federal food and nutrition education programs.

The new Dietary Guidelines provide concrete action steps to help people live healthier, more physically active and longer lives.

—HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) have jointly published the Dietary Guidelines every 5 years since 1980. HHS’s Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion and USDA’s Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion and Agricultural Research Service coordinate the development of the Dietary Guidelines.