One of the biggest problems that plagues our nations health and wasn’t really discussed during the healthcare reform debate is about to get bigger:

Up to a third of U.S. adults could have diabetes by 2050 if Americans continue to gain weight and avoid exercise, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention projected on Friday.

The numbers are certain to go up as the population gets older, but they will accelerate even more unless Americans change their behavior, the CDC said.

“We project that, over the next 40 years, the prevalence of total diabetes (diagnosed and undiagnosed) in the United States will increase from its current level of about one in 10 adults to between one in five and one in three adults in 2050,” the CDC’s James Boyle and colleagues wrote in their report.

I have suffered from Diabetes for the past five years. Trust me, it’s no picnic. Mine was a combination of genetics, poor diet and a lack of exercise. While I can’t change the first, I have worked hard correcting the remaining problems. Will other Americans do the same, or will they just accept it as part of life? Also, what will this do to our already soaring healthcare costs? Testing supplies alone can cost more than $100 per month. That’s a pretty big chunk of money going to something that can be prevented.