Recently, the National Diabetes Education Program (NDEP), sponsored by the National Institutes of Health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and more than 200 public and private organizations, launched and aggressive campaign to increase awareness about the importance and benefits of diabetes control, including emphasis on diabetes prevention for older American adults, one of the nation's fastest growing segments of the population.

"We are asking older adults to find out if they are at risk for type 2 diabetes, and we're showing them how to take action to prevent it," said Dr. James R. Gavin III, chair of the NDEP Steering Committee, "Older adults may not realize that they still have time to prevent diabetes, or that diabetes prevention is even possible."

Research clearly demonstrates the powerful impact of modest exercise and modest weight loss. The Diabetes Prevention Program study, funded by the federal government and published in the New England Journal of Medicine, tracked 3,200 people with pre-diabetes. Those who exercised half an hour, five days a week, and lost 7 percent of their weight through a low-fat diet were 58 percent less likely to progress to diabetes after three years.

To learn more about the campaign called "Small Steps, Big Rewards," which contains tools to help people lose weight, get active, and track their progress, visit the NDEP Web site (www.ndep.nih.gov) or call 1-800-438-5383.