Nutrition News: Got diabetes?

Close to half of all American adults have Type 2 diabetes or prediabetes, a new study finds. In the study, researchers found that up to 14 percent of adults had diagnosed or undiagnosed Type 2 diabetes in 2011-2012, and about 38 percent had diagnosed or undiagnosed prediabetes. Prediabetes is defined as having elevated blood sugar levels that aren't high enough to be called full-blown diabetes.

"Prediabetes puts people at risk of diabetes in the future," said lead researcher Catherine Cowie, program director of the U.S. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases' division of diabetes, endocrinology and metabolic diseases.

The problem is about one-third of Americans with Type 2 diabetes don't know they have it, and most of those with prediabetes are unaware of their condition, the study authors said. For these adults, the findings are a wake-up call to get treatment and make lifestyle changes that include losing weight and being more active, Cowie said.

The good news is progress is being made. Data from recent years suggests that the increase in the prevalence of diabetes may be leveling off, however, study authors consider it still too high. Diabetes has followed the same pattern as obesity, which has also declined slightly.

"Diabetes can be treated, but only if it is diagnosed," said Cowie. "The medical community needs to be aware that there is a high rate of undiagnosed diabetes in the population."

Type 2 diabetes is caused by obesity, poor eating habits and lack of exercise.

The new report was published in the Sept. 8 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.

For the study, Cowie and her colleagues estimated the prevalence and trends in Type 2 diabetes and undiagnosed diabetes using data from U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys.

According to the report, of the slightly more than 14 percent of adults with Type 2 diabetes, 9 percent had been diagnosed with the condition and just over 5 percent remained undiagnosed. In addition, 38 percent of adults had prediabetes, but more than 36 percent remained undiagnosed.

The prevalence of diabetes among whites was just over 11 percent, which was lower than among other groups. Among blacks, the prevalence of diabetes was almost 22 percent, among Asians it was close to 21 percent, and among Hispanics it was more than 22 percent, the researchers found.

As to the prevalence of prediabetes, it was more than 30 percent in all sex and racial/ethnic categories and was highest among whites and blacks, Cowie said.

The highest number of undiagnosed cases of Type 2 diabetes was among Asians (51 percent) and Hispanics (49 percent), the researchers found.

Dr. William Herman is a professor of epidemiology at the University of Michigan School of Public Health in Ann Arbor and co-author of an accompanying journal editorial. He said, "The doubling in the rate of obesity in the U.S. between 1980 and 2000 was followed 10 years later by a dramatic increase in the rate of Type 2 diabetes."

Changes in cultural attitudes toward obesity, changes in food policy, implementation of ways to identify people at risk for Type 2 diabetes and support for behavioral change may be beginning to have an effect on both obesity and Type 2 diabetes, Herman said.

Q and A

Q: I've heard some that some foods have "health halos." What does that mean?

A: A food said to have a "health halo" is a food that sounds healthful or has one nutritious quality so it seems healthful in all ways, including being low in calories, when many times it is not. Sometimes a food gets a "health halo" just by being associated with a restaurant, brand or celebrity that we think of as a source of healthful food. Some foods with "health halos" may have a healthy-sounding claim on the package such as natural, low-fat or fat-free. But those terms don't necessarily mean the food is low in sugar or calories or that it has any health benefits. Even if foods contain some healthful ingredients, it can be easy to overlook those foods' high calorie contents. Cookies made with whole-grain flour, muffins that contain grated carrots or fruit, and snack bars that include dried fruit and nuts all contain ingredients with health value, but they also typically contain large amounts of fat, sugars or both that increase calories.

Create eating habits that support a healthy weight and overall good health by making foods rich in nutrients and relatively low in calories -- vegetables, fruits, whole grains and beans -- the centerpiece of each meal and snack. Don't let label claims distract you from checking nutrient and calorie content on foods' Nutrition Facts panel, including the portion size that those figures represent. Complete your eat smart strategy with a mindset in which you base the amount you eat on physical hunger, rather than misleading cues like how "healthful" the food is or seems to be. - American Institute for Cancer Research.

Recipe

Want a healthier bar? Try this recipe from Cooking Light magazine. They can be made ahead and frozen and are made from wholesome grains, nuts and fruit.

PISTACHIO APPLE BARS WITH CHIA SEEDS

1/3 cup cashew butter

1/3 cup honey

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/4 cups puffed barley cereal

1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats

1/4 cup finely chopped dried apple

1/4 cup chopped sweetened dried cranberries

1/3 cup chopped dry-roasted pistachios

1 teaspoon black chia seeds