Three main types of diabetes affect 30 million people in the US, according to the Centers for Disease Control, and 1 in 4 don't know they have it.
Type 1: An auto-immune disease commonly, but not always, diagnosed in childhood. The body's own immune system destroys the pancreas. Type 1 diabetics must take insulin injections.
Type 2: More than 90 percent of people with diabetes have Type 2. Usually diagnosed in adults over age 40, about 80 percent of sufferers are overweight. In Type 2, the pancreas produces insulin but the body becomes increasingly resistant to it and, eventually, production is decreased. Weight loss, exercise, diet and insulin pills can help people stay healthy.
Gestational diabetes: This occurs during pregnancy and often disappears after delivery, but there is an increased risk of developing diabetes later in life.
