A print ad for Health.com caught my eye. It shows a sign announcing the name of a city and its population, but this sign also reads “Diabetes: Population 20,870,000,” the estimated number of Americans with the disease.

Type 2 diabetes, which most sufferers have, used to be a disease that affected only adults, but young people are not immune. One in six overweight adolescents has pre-diabetes, which can lead to the full-blown disease if unchecked. (To find out if you are at risk for diabetes, take a quiz from the American Diabetes Association, www.diabetes.org/risk-test.jsp.)

Diabetes risk test from diabetes.org
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Have a question of general interest? E-mail Chris Rosenbloom Fit to Eat columns Beans can be a good subtitute for meat, even with less protein  Shop, exercise and eat (wisely) at the mall  Five fabulous and healthy foods to feature on Thanksgiving         More Fit to Eat • Chris Rosenbloom, Ph.D., R.D., is a member of the nutrition faculty in the College of Health and Human Sciences at Georgia State University Related: • Carolyn O'Neil: Pork shouldn't be overlooked as lean and light entree  Good links: • Evening Edge • AJC Food & Drink • AJC Health Channel • Diet and Nutrition headlines, resources • Atlanta Restaurant reviews and search • Low fat/ heart healthy recipes • Search recipes

Researchers are looking for the culprit that causes diabetes — everything from high-fructose corn syrup to lack of fiber has been blamed. Several new studies in the Archives of Internal Medicine (July 28, 2008) looked at sweetened beverages, fruit and vegetable intake and low-fat diets for relationships to diabetes.

• The first study looked at the consumption of sugary drinks (soft drinks and fruit drinks) among African-American women. Because black women have twice the rate of diabetes as white women, finding a food or beverage link to the disease in this group could yield helpful prevention strategies. The researchers found that African-American women who drank two or more sugary soft drinks or fruit drinks each week had a higher risk of diabetes. Sugar-free soft drinks and orange juice were not shown to increase risk. However, body weight was the main factor tied to diabetes. Those who drank more soft drinks tended to weigh more.

• The second study looked at fruit and vegetable intake as measured by blood levels of vitamin C. Those people with the highest blood levels of vitamin C were less likely to have diabetes. People who eat more fruits and vegetables tend to weigh less than those who eat few fruits and veggies.

• A third study assessed dietary patterns and diabetes risk. The authors found no evidence that eating a low-fat diet reduced older women’s risk for diabetes. However, the researcher noted that weight, rather than intake of total fat, was the main predictor of diabetes development.

All three studies point to weight control as the most important thing you can do to reduce your risk of type 2 diabetes. The three studies also lend support to the Diabetes Prevention Program Study that reported that 30 minutes of moderate activity coupled with a 5 percent to 10 percent weight loss produced a 58 percent reduction in the development of diabetes. So, lace up your walking shoes and reduce your portion sizes to aim for a small weight loss to improve your chances of living a diabetes-free life.

Chilled Orecchiette Pasta With Spinach and Feta Cheese 4 servings (1/2 cup each)

Hands on: 20 minutes Total time: 2 hours, 20 minutes

1 tablespoon minced garlic

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

2 cups cooked orecchiette (or other bite-size pasta)

1/2 cup diced red onions

1/2 cup diced red bell pepper

1/4 cup chopped olives

6 ounces crumbled fat-free feta cheese

1 cup fresh spinach, chopped

Dash of salt and pepper

In a medium bowl, combine garlic, balsamic vinegar and olive oil, whisking until blended. In a separate bowl, combine pasta, onions, bell pepper, olives, cheese, spinach and salt and pepper. Pour vinegar mixture over all and mix until evenly coated. Refrigerate for 2 hours. Serve chilled.

— From “The Diabetic Chef’s Year-Round Cookbook”by Chris Smith (American Diabetes Association, $19.95)

Per serving: 305 calories (percent of calories from fat, 44), 13 grams protein, 30 grams carbohydrates, 2 grams fiber, 15 grams fat (2 grams saturated), no cholesterol, 740 milligrams sodium.