New data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows that about one in three teens and preteens in the United States have prediabetes.
This means roughly 8.4 million young people aged 12 to 17 — or 32.7% of adolescents — had prediabetes in 2023, the latest year for which data is available.
Prediabetes is a condition where blood sugar levels are higher than normal but not yet high enough to be diagnosed as Type 2 diabetes. The CDC calls prediabetes a “critical warning sign,” as it raises the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes and other serious health problems like heart disease and stroke.
The CDC also reported that new diabetes diagnoses among adults have stopped declining after more than ten years. In 2023, about 1.5 million adults were newly diagnosed with diabetes.
Dr. Christopher Holliday, the CDC’s lead on diabetes prevention, said that Type 2 diabetes is a “significant threat” to the health of young people. He emphasized that “simple life changes — like healthy eating and staying active — can make a big difference in preventing or delaying type 2 diabetes.” He described the data as “a wake-up call.”
According to the CDC, risk factors for prediabetes include being overweight, having a family member with Type 2 diabetes, and being physically active less than three times a week. The agency added that prediabetes can often be prevented by losing weight if needed and increasing physical activity.
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