Diabetes (dye uh BEE teez) is a serious disease that prevents the body from using the sugars and starches in food for energy. It is caused by problems with insulin, a hormone produced by the pancreas that normally moves sugars out of the bloodstream and into the body’s cells. In untreated diabetes, there is a large amount of sugar circulating in the blood. This sugar causes damage to tiny blood vessels throughout the body.

There are two types of diabetes. In Type 1 diabetes, people’s bodies just don’t produce enough insulin. These people must receive, or give themselves, injections of insulin in order for their bodies to use sugars and starches properly. Type 1 diabetes used to be called juvenile diabetes because it is diagnosed most often in childhood.

Type 2 diabetes prevents the body from using its insulin effectively. This type of diabetes tends to be diagnosed later in life and is often a result of obesity and inactivity. However, as more and more children and teens are overweight and inactive, they are being diagnosed with this type of diabetes.

Medication, exercise, and diet are used to lower blood sugar and manage diabetes. Lowering blood sugar is essential since diabetes places people at significant risk for blindness, kidney failure, heart attack, and stroke.