From the New York Post: A startling new study finds that an estimated 44% of people 15 and older with diabetes are unaware they have the chronic condition, which is characterized by sky-high blood sugar.
While Type 1 diabetes often begins in childhood, Type 2 diabetes usually develops later in adolescence or in adulthood. Poor diet, inactivity and obesity, which contribute to insulin resistance, are major risk factors for Type 2.
If left untreated, diabetes can lead to heart attack, stroke, kidney disease, eye problems and nerve damage.
“By 2050, 1.3 billion people are expected to be living with diabetes, and if nearly half don’t know they have a serious and potentially deadly health condition, it could easily become a silent epidemic,” said Lauryn Stafford, first author of the study and researcher at the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington School of Medicine.
Young adults are the most common category of people to be underdiagnosed with the disease.
A thread of posts on X by Dr. Chris Chappel includes some helpful information, including the following:
Diabetes doesn’t start overnight. It builds silently for 10+ years before diagnosis. The worst part? Millions already have it and have no clue. It drains your energy, wrecks metabolism, and stores fat.
1. How diabetes really begins
Type 2 diabetes starts as insulin resistance.
Your cells stop responding to insulin.
Sugar stays in your blood instead of being used for fuel.
This silent shift is the first step toward diabetes.
2. The chain reaction inside your body
When blood sugar stays high:
• Pancreas pumps out more insulin
• Fat storage (especially belly fat) increases
• Energy crashes hit after meals
• Inflammation spreads silently
3. Early warning signs most ignore
• Constant fatigue
• Brain fog after meals
• Sugar cravings
• Slow-healing cuts
• Frequent thirst or urination
These show up years before diagnosis.
4. Why standard tests miss it
Most doctors run a fasting glucose test.
It often looks “normal,” even while insulin has been sky-high for years.
That’s why many people are told they’re fine until damage is already done.
5. Everyday habits that drive resistance
The biggest culprits:
• Poor sleep
• Chronic stress
• Sedentary lifestyle
• Too much seed oils
• Processed carbs and sugary drinks
It’s not “a slice of cake,” it’s the daily grind of modern living.
6. The gut’s hidden role
Gut inflammation makes insulin resistance worse.
It increases cravings, weight gain, and blood sugar swings.
A healthy gut = stronger blood sugar control.
7. Why early action matters
By the time diabetes is diagnosed, arteries, nerves, and organs may already be damaged.
But when caught early, the body can fully heal.
8. Habits that improve insulin sensitivity
• Eat protein + fiber first
• Walk 10 mins after meals
• Sleep 7-9 hrs deeply
• Reduce ultra-processed foods
• Manage daily stress
9. What happens when you reverse resistance
• Energy stabilizes
• Belly fat shrinks
• Inflammation drops
• Blood sugar normalizes
People often move from “pre-diabetic” → completely normal in 6–12 months.
10. Why waiting is dangerous
Doctors typically intervene after diagnosis.
But the fight is won years earlier, when you notice the first symptoms.
Don’t wait until medication feels “inevitable.”
Nearly half of people living with diabetes are undiagnosed, latest estimates suggest in @TheLancetEndo.
🔗 https://t.co/smwnh7Qs4l pic.twitter.com/ginDMvYr5o
— The Lancet (@TheLancet) September 8, 2025
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