Local physicians can 'feel the numbers increasing' as more adults, kids get prediabetes

WASHINGTON (7News) — The holiday season means gatherings with friends and family and extra sweets and high-calorie foods. Physicians want people to keep in mind that while Thanksgiving is just a few weeks away, November is also National Diabetes Awareness Month.

7News Health and Wellness Reporter Victoria Sanchez spoke with two doctors about the disease in adults and kids.

There are many health issues that come along with diabetes, yet those risks often aren't enough to help people get back on a healthy track. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says medical costs for people with diabetes are twice as high as those who don't have it. Lost work and wages total $327 billion annually.

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That's a lot of money and the diabetes numbers are growing. In the United States, more than 37 million adults reportedly have the disease and 96 million are prediabetic. That's more than one in three adults who have higher than normal blood sugar levels.

“It increases your risk of stroke, of blindness, nerve damage. So, essentially the entire body is affected. So, we really want to try to nip it in the bud," said Dr. Kwame Akoto, a family medicine physician at Kaiser Permanente.

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Dr. Christina Brown is a pediatrician who is concerned with the health of local children.

“You can feel the numbers increasing. I’m seeing prediabetes even in 8, 9, 10 year olds. Yeah, it’s remarkable. These are the kids that if they don’t make some significant changes, they’ll end up with diabetes in their teens potentially," she told Sanchez.

In 2015, Lloyd Bailey was getting frequent headaches and found himself sweating profusely. He went to see Dr. Akoto who told him he was prediabetic.

“It was scary for me," Bailey told Sanchez. He didn't want his health issues to continue.

Now, 56 years old, Bailey turned his life around. He eats healthy, exercises daily and manages his stress so he can take better of himself.

“I see my doctor like two, three times a year, depending on what’s going on. I’m with myself 100 percent of the time. So, it’s my responsibility to take my health in my own hands and make sure I’m OK," he said. "I encourage them to do the same thing and it’s catching on because if we’re living, why not live healthy?”