NEW ORLEANS -- A scientist with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said habits must change to spare children from becoming diabetics.

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Dr. Venkat Narayan warned that one in three U.S. children born in 2000 will become diabetic unless more people start eating less and exercising regularly. He said the odds are worse for black and Hispanic children, since nearly half of them are likely to develop the disease.

"The estimated lifetime risk of developing diabetes for persons born in 2000 was 33 percent for males and 39 percent for females, based on data from the National Health Interview Survey, U.S. Census Bureau and other sources," Narayan said over the weekend at a meeting of the American Diabetes Association in New Orleans.

Diabetes, which is caused largely by obesity and a lack of exercise, affects about 17 million Americans. Diabetes can lead to a host of problems, including blindness, kidney failure and heart disease.

Nationally, diabetes has increased nearly 50 percent in the past 10 years alone, according to CDC estimates, and the incidence of the disease is expected to grow another 165 percent by 2050 under current trends. If the CDC predictions are accurate, some 45 million to 50 million U.S. residents could have the disease by 2050.

Additional Resources:

• Resources on Diabetes in Children and Adolescents
• National Diabetes Education Program
• American Diabetes Association