1 in 3 People Will Have Diabetes by 2050

Disturbing Diabetes Forecast Linked to Obesity
CDC Projects That 1 in 3 People Will Have Diabetes by 2050

Up to one in three American adults will have diabetes by 2050 unless something is done to curb unhealthy lifestyle trends in the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned on Friday.

CDC projects that 1 in 3 people will have diabetes by 2050.Currently, diabetes affects one in 10 U.S. adults, but government health officials say the aging population, as well as an increase in minority groups more prone to the condition could push the statistics higher.

The rise in number of obese American is also one of the largest contributors to the CDC's projection, according to ABC News chief health and medical editor Dr. Richard Besser.

"Obesity is the biggest risk factor that's changeable and we haven't been able to tackle the obesity epidemic in this country," Besser said on "Good Morning America."

"You can't change getting old, you can't change your family's risk factor, but you can tackle this issue of obesity," said Besser. "It's lifestyle, it's proper diet, it's regular exercise."

Americans spend $174 billion each year to treat diabetes, according to the American Diabetes Association. The report predicts that the number of new diabetes cases each year will increase from eight per 1,000 people in 2008, to 15 per 1,000 in 2050.

"Successful programs to improve lifestyle choices on healthy eating and physical activity must be made more widely available, because the stakes are too high and the personal toll too devastating to fail," said Ann Albright, director of CDC's Division of Diabetes Translation.