Each year millions of new cases of diabetes are diagnosed, and the total estimated cost of health care related to diabetes is approximately $200 billion annually in the United States, according to the American Diabetes Association. This is a 41 percent increase since the last estimate just five years ago.

The increase in diabetes diagnoses and associated costs are undoubtedly linked to the obesity epidemic that is sweeping the nation. Since the 1960s, the obesity rate has increased by 34 percent, and it is projected that 44 percent of people in the U.S. will be obese by 2030. Therefore, it is likely that rates of diabetes will also continue to rise.

Multiple factors have occurred simultaneously in society since the late 1980s that have now caused a perfect storm, resulting in a sedentary society and a culture of overconsumption.

Sedentary American Lifestyles

The universal availability of the Internet has transformed how we obtain information, do business and interact with one another. This ease of communication has had numerous benefits, but the downside is that we all spend increasing amounts of time fixated on a screen. Apps on cell phones makes it easy to play games or access social networking sites without the effort to actually go and meet a friend to play a game or interact. Hence, kids these days dedicate four to seven hours per day to screen time. Even toddlers are given tablet computers, so they are increasingly sitting rather than playing, moving around and interacting socially. An increasing number of people are now commonly sitting at home watching sports while eating high fat foods, rather than playing a sport.

Societal Change

Increasingly, many women work not just one job but sometimes multiple jobs to keep their families afloat. This societal change has resulted in less cooking at home and more people relying on quick, easy and high caloric foods that are unwholesome. Additionally, easy access to candy and sugar-sweetened beverages promote dependence on empty foods.

Physical Activity 

In addition to access to wholesome, affordable foods, another necessity for a healthy lifestyle is exercise; yet, in many parts of the country, investments are not made in parks and recreation. Ongoing violence in inner cities keeps children from feeling safe enough to play in parks and has further reduced the use of open spaces that would encourage a healthy active lifestyle. Additionally, failure to increase physical activity in schools has further compounded the problem.

Unhealthy Workforce and Cost of Care

Companies are increasingly realizing that having an unhealthy workforce, riddled with chronic conditions such as diabetes, hypertension and heart disease, is a financial drain. Establishing employee wellness programs that foster healthy habits and reward positive behaviors is necessary to disrupt current trends, and ensure that the health status of young people does not emulate that of their predecessors.

The Way Out of the Obesity Problem

The result of all these changes is that the next generation of healthcare consumers - our children - is not learning how to look after themselves. They are being bombarded by advertising that promotes cheap junk foods, they are not taught the importance of a family meal or how to prepare nutritious foods, and they do not recognize the importance of getting outside to run around with their friends and exercise.

However, there is a silver lining. With a multi-pronged approach, the obesity and diabetes epidemics can be reversed. Community, healthcare and government cooperation is key to reversing the problem.

Starting with the community and families in particular, providing support, educational tools and resources to make healthy decisions can create change. Teaching children how to become mindful of the foods they consume, helping them to understand healthy choices, and teaching them to cook at home rather than supporting the industries that perpetuate unhealthy behaviors will make a difference.

Greater access to primary care is essential. Physicians can start health education early; provide support, services and advocacy that will foster positive lifestyle behaviors from the outset and make a long-term difference.

Government policy that encourages the use of federally funded food programs to promote healthy lifestyles, funds research to study obesity and its complications, and encourages the implementation of evidenced-based solutions will make a difference. Legislation is another key element. We need stricter laws to decrease advertising to our children through the Internet and television in order to make a difference.

We can turn this dire situation around if we collectively view this as a problem and are willing to change, in our homes, schools, offices and community at large.

Rubina A Heptulla, M.D., is the chief of the division of pediatric endocrinology and diabetes at the Children's Hospital at Montefiore, and professor of pediatrics and medicine at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine