"One in three kids born in 2000 will become diabetic unless people eat less, exercise more"

One in three U.S. children born in 2000 will become diabetic unless many more people start eating less and exercising more, a scientist with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warns. . . .

"I think the fact that the diabetes epidemic has been raging has been well known to us for several years. But looking at the risk in these terms was very shocking to us," Narayan said.

The 33 percent lifetime risk is about triple the American Diabetes Association's current estimate.

The most likely reason for the increase is an increasingly sedentary and overweight population in the U.S.

"Americans are becoming more overweight and get much less physical exercise," [Dr. K.M. Venkat Narayan, chief of the CDC's diabetes epidemiology section,] told attendees of the meeting.

And if trends continue, a girl born in 2000 has a 39 percent chance of developing diabetes in her lifetime and a boy born the same year has a 33 percent chance of developing the disease in his lifetime . . .

Recent studies have shown that even relatively small amounts of physical activity can cut the risk of diabetes substantially, he noted.

"Walking, for instance, is a very effective way of reducing one's risk," he said. "Just doing thirty minutes of walking or physical activity five times a week, can reduce your risk for developing diabetes by as much as 58 percent."