On this page: Diabetes can affect almost every part of your body, including your heart, eyes, kidneys, and nerves. Diabetes is also linked to some types of cancer. You may be able to prevent or delay diabetes health problems by leading a healthy lifestyle, taking your medicines, and managing your blood glucose level, also called blood sugar level. […]
What is diarrhea? Diarrhea is loose, watery stools three or more times a day. Diarrhea may be acute, persistent, or chronic: How common is diarrhea? Diarrhea is a common problem. Acute diarrhea is more common than persistent or chronic diarrhea. Researchers estimate that about 179 million cases of acute diarrhea occur in the United States each year.1 What are […]
How can I tell if I am at a healthy weight? Two measurements—your body mass index (BMI) and your waist size—can help you figure out if you’re at a healthy weight. Body mass index Body mass index (BMI) is a measurement that estimates if a person has a healthy weight, overweight, or obesity. Having overweight or obesity can increase […]
Many factors can affect your weight, including Lifestyle habits Lifestyle habits—including the foods and beverages you consume and how active you are in your daily life—can also affect your weight. If you take in more calories from food or beverages than you use during physical activity and through daily living, such as doing housework or walking to […]
In this section: If your kidney function drops below 15 percent of normal, you are said to have kidney failure. You may have symptoms from the buildup of waste products and extra water in your body. To replace your lost kidney function, you may have one of three treatment options: End-stage renal disease (ESRD) is […]
Why should I be physically active? Physical activity is an important step you can take to improve your health and quality of life. Regular physical activity may help prevent or delay many health problems. Being active may help you look and feel better, both now and in the future. So what’s stopping you? Maybe you […]
Overweight and obesity may increase your risk for many health problems—especially if you carry extra fat around your waist. Reaching and staying at a healthy weight can help prevent these problems, stop them from getting worse, or even make them go away. Type 2 diabetes Type 2 diabetes is a disease that occurs when your blood glucose, also called blood sugar, is […]
In this section: What is diabetic kidney disease? Diabetic kidney disease is a type of kidney disease caused by diabetes. Diabetes is the leading cause of kidney disease. About 1 out of 3 adults with diabetes has kidney disease.1 The main job of the kidneys is to filter wastes and extra water out of your blood to make urine. Your […]
Three recent studies have shown how dietary and other environmental exposures, including those that shape the internal environment created by gut microbes, are critically important during the first few years of life, with implications for a lifetime of good health. These exposures include not only the diet of the mother and child, but also other […]
In this section: Parents and other caregivers can guide children to develop lifestyle habits that will support their good health for years to come. We know that as a parent or caregiver you may not have all the answers. Like many Americans, you may even struggle to develop and stick with healthy habits of your […]