Bob Hawkinson, Diabetes Guide Author and lifelong diabetic of 45 years, resolves to not be a diabetic in 2009. "If only it was that easy for everyone!" says Hawkinson. "With an estimated 57 million pre-diabetics in the U.S., at least some folks can have some choice in the matter!"

A new diabetic is diagnosed about every 30 seconds in the U.S. Given the choice, you really don't want to be one of them. 2009 would be a great time to make a commitment to improving your health, exercising more, eating better, and doing your best to avoid the "d" word.

There are currently about 24 million diabetics and 57 million pre-diabetics in America. That means about 1 in 3.7 people is either diabetic or prone to develop the disease. Can you say epidemic?

Diabetes Breaks Down Into A Few Categories That Are The Most Common.

Type 1 Diabetes: Is an autoimmune disease that is estimated to be about 3 million of the 24 million diabetics in the U.S. A person with type 1 must take insulin daily to live. Type 1 Diabetes is not avoided by improved diet or exercise. Those of us who get it just do...a bad hand dealt by genetics.

Type 2 Diabetes: The most common form of diabetes usually associated with older age, family history, obesity, previous gestational diabetes, physical inactivity, and ethnicity. About 80 percent of people with type 2 diabetes are overweight.

Pre-diabetes: These are people who have glucose levels higher than normal but not high enough to be diagnosed as diabetic. This condition can raise the risk of type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and stroke.

Gestational Diabetes: About 3-8 percent of pregnant women in the U.S. develop gestational diabetes late in pregnancy. Although this form usually disappears after the birth of the baby, these women have a 20-50 percent chance of developing type 2 diabetes within 10 years.

"Staying healthy is always a challenge, but why not make a commitment this upcoming year to improve your chances at a healthy life," says Hawkinson.

Author's Bio: 

Bob's diabetes guide, "The Joy of Diabetes", is not only inspiring, but it educates with a light-hearted and pithy approach. Bob who is 46 was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at the age of 1. Bob's goal is to "help other diabetics grab hold of this disease by the horns and wrestle it to the ground." To order his motivational diabetes guide, go to http://www.joyofdiabetes.com.