In today's society, diabetes mellitus has become a widespread problem, particularly because it affects more and more young people. Diabetes is defined as “a complex disorder of the metabolism of carbohydrates, fats and proteins which results mainly from a deficiency or complete absence of insulin secretion by the beta cells of the pancreas or from resistance to insulin. insulin (“DM”, 2013, p. 522). The number of adults diagnosed with diabetes has increased significantly between the 1980s and today, as has the number of children diagnosed. Risk factors such as family history, obesity and ethnicity are all crucial to the prevalence of diabetes and its devastating effects on the future health of those affected. Asian American ethnicity is associated with elevated risk factors along with several other ethnicities such as African Americans, Hispanic Americans, and Native Americans (Smeltzer, Bare, Hinkle, & Cheever, 2010, p. 1197). The following will establish how adolescent diabetes has become a crucial topic for their generation and the effects it has on their self-care and in collaboration with their health care providers and nurses. Impact on patients and patient care. Adolescents are currently affected by diabetes due to several factors, but the biggest and most crucial factor is obesity. Research by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality on Asian Americans, specifically those of South Asian descent, has shown that although height, weight and B.I. Body mass (BMI) of patients shows that the person is overweight or obese, the patient has. do not perceive themselves as overweight or obese. People of Asian descent who are diagnosed with type 2 diabetes have a lower BMI than most others...... middle of paper ......s. (2013, March). Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality: Research Activities, 13. Retrieved from http://www.ahrq.gov/news/newsletters/research-activities/13mar/Mar13RA.pdfScott, LK (2013). Presence of risk factors for type 2 diabetes in children. Pediatric Nursing, 4(4), 190-196. Retrieved from http://web.b.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.com.edu/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=d2677c5a-a052-420e-9d1c-c43b91053f41%40sessionmgr115&vid=12&hid=108Smeltzer, SC, Bare, BG, Hinkle, J.L. and Cheever, K.H. (2010). Brunner & Suddarth Handbook of Medical-Surgical Nursing (12th ed.). Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. South Asians may not perceive themselves as overweight or obese. (2013, March). Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality: Research Activities, 18-19. Retrieved from http://www.ahrq.gov/news/newsletters/research-activities/13mar/Mar13RA.pdf