A little over a week ago, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced statistics that show as many as 1 in 3 U.S. adults could have diabetes by 2050 if current trends continue.

The report predicts that the number of new diabetes cases each year will increase from 8 per 1,000 people in 2008, to 15 per 1,000 in 2050.

One of the main factors behind the projected increase in cases is an aging population susceptible to developing type 2 diabetes.

How to prevent type 2 diabetes
Proper diet and exercise can help prevent diabetes, and also help control the condition for those who already have it.

Dr. Judith Fradkin, Director of Diabetes Division at NIH, told a news station that an NIH study showed that just losing 15 pounds can reduce your risk for developing type 2 diabetes over the next three years by 58 percent. Check out the video with the interview below.

Risk factors for type 2 diabetes include older age, obesity, family history, having diabetes while pregnant, a sedentary lifestyle.

Certain racial/ethnic groups also more commonly develop type 2 diabetes, according to the CD, identifying the groups as African-Americans, Hispanics, American Indians/Alaska Natives, and some Asian-Americans and Pacific Islanders.

A Diabetes Prevention Program clinical trial, led by the National Institutes of Health, reduced the risk of developing type 2 diabetes by 58 percent in people at higher risk of the disease.

While these types of government programs show promise, they also show the need for personal preventative action.

More info
You can read the full press release from the CDC here: http://www.cdc.gov/media/pressrel/2010/r101022.html

For more information about diabetes, you can visit www.cdc.gov/diabetes or the National Diabetes Education Program at www.yourdiabetesinfo.org. For a full copy of the CDC report, visit http://www.pophealthmetrics.com/content/8/1/29.

Weight gain may not simply be just about how many calories you eat versus how many calories you burn up, despite what many people think.

A White House Task Force released a report on May 11 saying there is a class of chemicals that may be making Americans fat:  endocrine disrupting chemicals, or EDCs. You can read the full government report here: http://www.aap.org/obesity/pdf/tfco_fullreport_may2010.pdf

Scientists are calling the chemicals “obesogens” because of the way they “may promote weight gain and obesity.”

In the human body, the endocrine system and its hormones are crucial for regulating systems that control body weight, such as metabolism.

Because obesogens disrupt the endocrine system, they also disrupt these important weight-controlling functions.

This means that even if you make corrections in your diet to lose weight, you will be unable to completely control your weight if you remain exposed to these harmful chemicals.

Nine of the ten most commonly used pesticides are obesity-promoting chemicals, according to this article on Yahoo! Shine, so eating healthy foods like fruits and vegetables may actually work against your efforts to lose weight if they contain obesogens.

How to reduce your exposure to obesogens
One of the best ways is to eat organic–but most importantly, to avoid products that contain the most pesticides.

The Environmental Working Group (EWG) identified 12 fruits and vegetables that account for about 80 percent of peoples’ exposure to pesticides: celery, peaches, strawberries, apples, blueberries (domestic), nectarines, sweet bell peppers, spinach, kale/collard greens, cherries, potatoes and grapes (imported).

If you do choose to purchase these fruits and vegetables, buying organic versions will help you reduce your exposure to harmful obesity-promoting chemicals.

The EWG also identified 15 fruits and vegetables that contain very low levels of pesticides: onions, avocado, sweet corn (frozen), pineapples, mango, sweet peas (frozen), asparagus, kiwi fruit, cabbage, eggplant, cantaloupe (domestic), watermelon, grapefruit, sweet potatoes and honeydew melon.

Selecting these foods instead of those containing higher levels of pesticides can also help reduce your obesogen exposure while not necessarily requiring you to buy expensive organic versions.

Another way you can avoid obesogens is by reducing plastics and canned food from your diet.

For example, many plastics used to package food at supermarkets contain synthetic compounds like BPA that resemble estrogen, a hormone in the human body that stores fat and reduces muscle.

Avoid heating food in plastic containers or heating sports water bottles. Heat can cause damage to the plastic and make it leak the chemicals into food and drinks.

Also, avoid fatty meats. Conventional meat may have higher levels of chemicals stored in the fat, so if you’re at the supermarket and planning to buy conventional meat, buy leaner cuts.

Finally, filter your drinking water with an activated carbon water filter, which will remove most pesticides and industrial pollutants.