Health: Why So Many Of Us Are Getting Diabetes

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Hillary Carroll and her family have taken those lessons to heart. While still in the hospital, Hillary went through a kind of diabetes boot camp in which she learned how to monitor her blood-sugar levels, change the way she eats and boost the amount of physical activity in her life. Her parents bought her a turquoise BMX bike, which she rides at least an hour every day. She has lost 24 lbs. so far, and her glucose levels have stabilized. "Before she was diagnosed, she was happy to sit here by herself, playing with her Barbies," says Tammy Carroll, Hillary's mother. "I thought she was so calm then, but now that we have her sugar under control, she's more active." Hillary, now 11, is taking charge of her life. To get control of the diabetes epidemic, the rest of us may have to do the same. --Reported by David Bjerklie and Alice Park/New York, Dan Cray/Los Angeles and Laura Randall/Cincinnati

Want to learn more about diabetes? Visit www.ndep.nih.gov or www.diabetes.org