This past week, diabetes has taken the spotlight after celebrity chef Paula Deen announced that she has Type 2 diabetes. As the most common form of diabetes, this condition affects more than eight percent of children and adults in the United States.

Mary Bennett, RD, LDN, CDE, a Diabetes Education Manager at NorthShore, identifies who is at risk for being diagnosed with diabetes. She also talks about key symptoms to be mindful of in her video interview.

According to Bennett, the following risk factors exist for diabetes:

• Family history of diabetes
• Lack of physical exercise (less than 150 minutes each week)
• Being overweight
• High blood pressure (more than 130/80)
• Being over 40 years old
• Giving birth to a baby weighing more than nine pounds or having had gestational diabetes during pregnancy
• Being African American, Native American, Asian American, Hispanic, Eastern Asian or Pacific Islander

What are you currently doing to help reduce your risk of diabetes?