By Katie Philpott

Today is National Diabetes Alert Day, a day on which the American Diabetes Association (ADA) stresses the importance of learning your risk for developing type 2 diabetes.

Here in the Palmetto State, 1 out of every 5 hospital patients has diabetes.  In 2012 alone, diabetes hospitalizations in South Carolina cost more than $280 million.

One of the most notable risk factors for diabetes is your weight. Being overweight or obese can significantly increase your chance of developing diabetes. That’s why here at DHEC we’re focusing on promoting programs that address both diabetes and obesity, like the CDC-led national Diabetes Prevention Program.

Take a moment to take the ADA’s quick, online risk assessment tool that asks simple questions to help identify your risk for developing diabetes, and visit our website for tips on how to prevent diabetes.