Know any preschoolers? Cute, aren't they? Current research indicates that more than a third of today's children between the ages of 4-6 will develop diabetes in their lifetime. Scarier still, for these diabetic children, life expectancy has been shown to drop.

When they're young and healthy, it's hard to imagine a four year old child battling this type of disease. But with more and more children becoming obese, right along with the rest of the population, it's important to consider those numbers.

Today, diabetic children who are diagnosed with type 2 diabetes by age 10 could lose up to 18 years off their life. This is due to the disease itself, and its associated complications. 18 years!

Type 2 diabetes is almost completely preventable, but the data so far is clear: the longer you live with it, the shorter you live.

So, what can you do to decrease the rate of diabetic children? If you want to give your little ones the joy of a brighter, healthier future, it's important that you educate them on the importance of a healthy, well-balanced diet. Since they are kids, encourage them to play outside for at least 30 minutes each day. Teach your children early so you can prevent the causes that lead to juvenile diabetes.

Nothing is more precious than the life of a child, so why not teach them how to live it to the fullest? They deserve only the best in the future, without having to worry about diabetes.