According to a study, Diabetes and Obesity are on the rise in young adults

The Rise in Black Diabetes and Hypertension among the U.S. During the 20th Century: Evidence from a New Center for Diabetes in Youth Study

If incidence rates from last year were to remain the same over the next 20 years, the number of people with either type of diabetes would go up 12%. As the incidence has risen as quickly as it has, 526,000 people may have the disease by 2060.

A new study was published this month in the American Diabetes Association journal Diabetes Care, and it was based on data from the CDC’s search for Diabetes in Youth study.

This research should serve as a wake-up call for all of us. It’s vital that we focus our efforts to ensure all Americans, especially our young people, are the healthiest they can be,” Dr. Debra Houry, acting principal deputy director of the CDC, said in a statement.

The study shows that young adults are at greater risk of having a heart attack, stroke and heart failure.

The authors of the study said their findings highlight the need to step up public health and clinical intervention efforts that are focused on preventative measures for young adults.

But Mexican American adults faced a significant rise in diabetes and hypertension, the authors said, and other Hispanic adults experienced a significant rise in hypertension as well. The authors say that high-sodium and ultra-processed foods drove the rise, as well as the various factors that make it hard to access healthy foods.

The study’s authors pointed to structural racism as the likely root of social inequities driving the trends among Black people. The authors recommended that there be interventions in Black barbershops and that large scale health system initiatives screen for and treat blood pressure for young Black adults.