This blog should have a category called “It’s worse than you think” or “I’m really not exaggerating,” or maybe just “More scary news.”

We turn to this week’s Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), one of the preeminent journals of my profession. According to a study of 3 million kids and teens in 7 states across the U.S., Type 2 diabetes increased 30 percent between 2001 and 2008. Here’s what I want to say about this:

1) It’s not inevitable; it’s usually reversible. The earlier the better.

2) We all need to find more opportunities to move, to play, to walk.

3) Save high-sugar treats for just once or twice a week. Remember that dark chocolate and nuts are good for you, and don’t let anyone try to convince you that breakfast bars are food.

Am I surprised about the news? Absolutely not. Diabetes rates are projected to rise to affect approximately one-third of current 12-year-olds.

Diabetes is a complex disease whose hallmark is elevated blood sugars. Uncontrolled diabetes causes all kinds of devastating and costly complications. My patients know that I will pay any price, whether it involves medication or not, to keep their blood sugars in the normal range. No matter what it costs to keep blood sugars normal, it costs a lot more not to. As the costs of care for diabetes and diabetic complications rise, we will see the amount of suffering and cost of medical care continue to skyrocket. Prevention is not just the most humane option; it’s also the most economical one.