Roughly 41.3 million people in the United States today are Hispanic. That breaks down to one in every seven people. Hispanic Americans represent the second-largest and fastest-growing minority group in the United States. And all of that growth comes with a staggering rate of Diabetes.

According to the 2003 U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report, more than 1.5 million Hispanic Americans had Diabetes, up from less than 1.2 million in 1997. As high as the rate of Diabetes appears among Hispanics, it doesn’t include undiagnosed cases.

Disease Prevention and Treatment by the Life Extension Foundation states that roughly 5.4 million people in the United States have Diabetes and are unaware of it. “Minorities are at particular risk. Compared with Caucasians, blacks have a 60 percent higher risk of developing Diabetes and Hispanics have a 90 percent increased risk.”

According to the National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse (NDIC), Hispanics are 1.9 times more likely to have Diabetes than whites.

Obesity is a major contributor to the onset of Type 2 diabetes. According to the NDIC, minority ethnic groups in the United States that have high rates of Obesity are on the rise, especially Hispanic Americans. The problem isn’t just owing to the adults within those groups. Food Politics author Marion Nestle writes, “Obesity rates are rising among children and adolescents, especially those who are African-American or Hispanic. In the early 1990s, for example, 23 percent of white girls aged six to 11 were overweight, compared to 29 percent of Mexican-American girls -  Pediatricians report seeing children with high levels of serum cholesterol, high blood pressure, and “adult” onset diabetes (type 2) at earlier and earlier ages - all consequences of excessive caloric intake. Because Obesity tends to persist into adulthood, this condition may well predispose overweight and obese children to cardiovascular and other chronic disease risks later in life.”

The next generation of obese Hispanic-Americans is becoming diabetic progressively earlier. But these kids aren’t becoming obese entirely of their own accord. Saturated Fat May Save Your Life author Bruce Fife writes, “Children with Type 2 diabetes look a lot like their adult counterparts. Most are black or Hispanic, with a particularly high rate found among children of Mexican descent.” The NDIC reports that Mexican Americans make up the largest percentage of the Hispanic population in the United States; they also represent the largest percentage of Hispanic Americans with diabetes. Although Mexican Americans seem even more disposed toward developing diabetes, all Hispanic Americans run a high risk.

Most people realize that a good way to avoid Obesity is to exercise. Diet along with exercise is best, but exercise alone can help prevent Obesity, a common trigger for Type 2 diabetes. The Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey conducted from 1988-94 found that 65 percent of Mexican-American men and 74 percent of Mexican-American women reported that they participated in little or no leisure-time physical activity.

Lack of physical activity is an obvious factor contributing to the high rates of diabetes among Mexican Americans. How can someone avoid becoming overweight or obese if they never or only rarely exercise? While much blame for the high rates of diabetes is placed on genetics, even those statistics supportive of such an argument can be explained to a certain extent. Consider the children of obese, inactive Hispanic-American parents. The parents have passed along - however unknowingly - behaviors and eating habits that contribute to Obesity. Why would their children be expected to lead a different, healthier, more active lifestyle unless they have an example to follow?

But why are Hispanics at such a high risk compared to the non-Hispanic population? Hispanics certainly aren’t the only Americans who suffer from Obesity, which is a major factor in developing diabetes. A number of risk factors apart from Obesity, such as genetics, can push the number of diabetes incidents higher. According to the NDIC, “The prevalence of diabetes among Mexican Americans who have first degree relatives (e.g., parents) with diabetes was twice as great as for those with no family history of diabetes.”

Read the following story, then consider why family relationships play such an important role in either preventing or passing along diabetes. Dr. Robert H. Lebow, author of Health Care Meltdown, relates the story of a young Hispanic girl, Anna, who goes to the doctor with complaints of cramping abdominal pains and constipation. “She is 4’8” and weights 140 pounds. Her only physical activity occurs twice a week in her fifth grade physical education class. When at home, she watches ‘lots’ of TV. Her diet includes ‘a lot’ of candy and soda pop. A schoolmate, Marjorie, is nine years old, in fourth grade, and weighs 177 pounds. Her only exercise is two sessions of P.E. a week; she consumes ‘munchies’ and watches TV when she’s at home. Her mother developed diabetes at a young age (35) and worries that Marjorie will, too.”

Chances are, Marjorie will indeed become diabetic. She’s already obese, she gets little to no exercise and her diet is sorely lacking in nutrition. Unless Marjorie can change her lifestyle by eating healthy and exercising, she’ll likely grow up obese and pass her bad habits on to her future children, who in turn could easily develop the disease. Such a cycle continues on a much larger scale for Hispanic Americans than non-Hispanics.