Hispanics and Latinos make up the fastest-growing demographic of the U.S. population. They also are experiencing the fastest increase in the rates of both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes, and that alarms many public health officials.

According to a recent American Diabetes Association analysis of diabetes health data, 52.5% of Hispanic women and 45.4% of Hispanic men will have Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes in their lifetimes. In contrast, only 31.2% of non-Hispanic women and 26.7% of non-Hispanic men will experience diabetes, according to a WebMD report. In a recent survey conducted by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Harvard School of Public Health, health care costs and diabetes rank as the top health concerns among Latino and Hispanic Americans, according to an article in Kaiser Health News.