KANSAS CITY — Nearly 16% of American adults — an estimated 41 million people, per the 2020 US Census — now has diabetes, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). It’s a dramatic rise in the incidence of the incurable illness and one, if it continues, that has the potential to change demand patterns for some products as diabetics seek to manage their condition for the rest of their lives.

For context, the number of Americans living with diabetes today is greater than the 9% of US adults — approximately 30 million people — who are projected to be taking GLP-1 medications for weight loss by 2030, according to projections from J.P. Morgan. It is also greater than the 33 million US adults and children who are estimated to have food allergies.

The recently published CDC data were collected from mid-2021 through mid-2023 and found a significant rise in diabetes rates since 1999-2000, when 9.7% of adult Americans – approximately 17 million – had the disease. Ninety-five percent of diabetes cases are type 2 diabetes, which occurs when the body’s cells no longer respond to insulin as they should.

The CDC data showed a significant gender gap in illness rates in 2023, with 18% of men having the illness, compared to 13.7% of women. Not surprisingly, diabetes rates rose with age, with just 4% of adults under 40 living with the illness. The rates rose to 12.1% for people ages 40 to 59, and to 20.5% for those 60 and older.

The data, which were published Nov. 6 and came from the CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics, also noted that many cases of diabetes aren’t diagnosed, posing a real health danger. Approximately 4.5% of adult Americans with diabetes, more than a quarter of those with the disease, are unaware of their condition.

Managing type 2 diabetes requires a regimen of monitoring blood sugar, medication, healthy eating and exercise. Impressive advances have been made in monitoring, with continued improvements to blood glucose meters and the development of glucose monitors that may record levels every few minutes from a sensor placed under the skin. The data can then be transmitted to a mobile device like a smartphone that can alert users when glucose levels may be too high or too low.

Similar advancements have been made in medication development, including GLP-1 agonists that may slow digestion and help lower blood sugar levels. But even with the advancements in technology and medications, diet remains a primary tool for managing diabetes.

A diabetic-friendly diet includes smaller-than-average portions and a focus on foods high in fiber, such as fruits, non-starchy vegetables and whole grains; fewer refined grains, starchy vegetables and sweets; modest servings of low-fat dairy, low-fat meats and fish; and healthy cooking oils like olive or canola, according to the Mayo Clinic.

Several companies, most notably Abbott Laboratories that owns the Glucerna brand, have made inroads into developing and offering products specifically formulated for people with diabetes. Given how many more people have the illness today compared to 2000, or even 1989, when Glucerna was first introduced, it’s not a stretch to see many more companies trying to serve more diabetic-friendly foods and beverages.