That’s 4 in 10 people with the disease who are not getting treatment that could prolong their life and protect them from many serious health problems, such as blindness, kidney failure, amputations, heart disease, and stroke. Wow.

Here’s another startling fact. Although 79 million people in the U.S. have prediabetes — a condition that increases your risk for type 2 diabetes — nearly 90 percent don’t know it, according to a new report last week from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Are you one of them? Are you willing to take a minute right now and find out?

March 26 is Diabetes Alert Day — a one-day “wake-up call” for EVERYONE to take the Diabetes Risk Test to find out if they are at risk for developing type 2 diabetes.

The online test asks users to answer simple questions about weight, age, family history and other potential risk factors for prediabetes or type 2 diabetes. Preventative tips are provided for everyone who takes the test, including encouraging those at high risk to talk with their health care provider.

It’s quick. It’s painless. But it could be just the wake up call you or a family member needs.

Tony and Lynne remember getting just such a wake up call. Both were in their late ’30s, and in good shape. Or, so they thought. They exercised and ate healthy, for the most part. Since they didn’t have any health complaints, they hadn’t been too consistent about getting regular checkups. It wasn’t intentional. They just got busy with life and the time just got away from them.

Ironically, allergy season was the turning point for Tony. Weary from the constant headaches, stuffy nose, itchy eyes and sneezing, he relented to seeing an allergist — which also necessitated a visit to his long-lost primary care provider for a much-needed checkup.

That’s when he got the unexpected news. “My blood test showed that I was diabetic. It came as a complete shock. I had no idea,” he said. “If I hadn’t gone to the doctor about my allergies, I might not have known for years.”

Tony and Lynne found out that living with diabetes isn’t all that hard. It just takes awareness and a little practice. Now, they are thankful for the annoying ragweed that tipped them off about a silent disease. Otherwise, they may not have found out about it until years later – after much damage had been done to Tony’s health.

Take one minute NOW to find out if you, or someone you love, is at risk. Start the conversation. Take the test!

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If you think you may have prediabetes or diabetes, contact your primary care physician. Need a doctor? We can help! Contact the HealthNet health center nearest you.

Everyone from Top Cheffers to Jamie Oliver to Michelle Obama agrees that our nation’s school lunch program is hungry for change. Given that 1 in 3 children in the U.S.  is obese or overweight, it’s no wonder such prominent figures are ready for the next course of action.

With 32 million children now eligible for free school lunches and declining budgets, schools are under pressure to deliver nutritional food to those in need. Many children eligible for free lunches come from underrepresented communities and neighborhoods in which many families are at or below the poverty level.

School-based health centers like the ones HealthNet operates in Indianapolis public and charter schools provide community care for the very smallest and most vulnerable of our citizens and their families.  Offering health and nutrition education, they are the front line on battling childhood obesity, but how can we keep ALL of our kids fed and healthy?

The”Improving Nutrition for America’s Children Act“ passed by the House Education and Labor Committee brings Indy kids one bite closer to the possibility of more nutritious meals.

The act aims to improve access to school lunch programs, help schools improve the quality of meals by adding a 6-cent-per-child increase in budget, encourage partnerships with local farms, allow unused food to be donated to food banks, increase access to healthy food outside school hours and improve food safety and integrity.

Encourage your legislators to support the bill today. Learn more about what’s happening at schools in other communities.  Take action at your school. Here are five things you can do to improve school lunches for our kids. There’s still much work to be done — from the front lines right here in Indy.