Too many young adults are spending too much time in the hospital.

It’s not a sudden rash of car accidents, knife fights or even a strange new illness–just another toll diabetes is taking on our society.

A new study finds that diabetes hospitalizations rose 65 percent between 1993 and 2006, with hospitalization rates for Americans between the ages of 30 and 39 doubling in that period.

And it’s even worse for women.

The study in the Journal of Women’s Health found that young women between the ages of 20 and 39 were 1.3 times more likely than men in that age group to wind up in the hospital as a result of diabetes or a related condition.

Gestational diabetes explained part of that increased risk–-but only part of it, because women in that age range still suffered a higher hospitalization rate even after pregnancies were removed from the equation.

Men older than 50, on the other hand, were more likely to be hospitalized for diabetes than women the same age.

That’s the human toll–but as you can guess, there’s also a pretty significant financial one: The researchers say the bill for all those hospitalizations rose from $62.5 billion in 1993 (after adjusting for inflation) to more than $200 billion in 2006.

That’s nearly 10 percent of all health care costs in the United States–just in diabetes care.

Think that’s a lot? That’s nothing–because as bad as it is now, it’s going to get much, much worse. We’ve already got 18 million diagnosed diabetics, and millions more who have the disease but don’t know it yet.

By 2030, the number of diabetics is expected to top 30 million.

And while I’m sure the drug companies are just salivating at the thought of all those new customers, the truth is you can take control of your condition–or avoid it in the first place–without meds.

All you need is a commitment to a strict sugar-free, low-carb lifestyle with some steady moderate exercise.

If you’re at risk, make those changes now–or the next hospitalization could be yours.

There’s no denying it: Nothing’s better for baby than breastfeeding.

And if your baby enjoyed mother’s milk years ago, you may be enjoying a benefit right now: a lower risk for metabolic syndrome, a dangerous set of conditions that can lead to diabetes and heart disease.

You won’t get that from a bottle!

A study published in the journal Diabetes finds that women who did not suffer from gestational diabetes during pregnancy were able to lower their risk of metabolic syndrome by 39 percent by breastfeeding for one to five months, and by 56 percent by breastfeeding for longer than nine months.

Women who suffered from gestational diabetes lowered their risk by 44 percent when they breastfed for between one and five months, and by 86 percent when they breastfed for more than nine months.

Metabolic syndrome includes weight gain, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and insulin resistance. With all those risk factors attacking at once, it’s no wonder that many of the people who suffer from it also end up battling obesity, diabetes and heart disease.

No one’s quite sure yet why this simple and perfectly natural act might make such a big difference… but it may have to do with blood-sugar levels during breastfeeding. Women who breastfeed have lower insulin levels.

They also tend to have higher levels of HDL (“good”) cholesterol and less belly fat after pregnancy, which may also help reduce that risk for metabolic syndrome years down the road.

Breastfeeding can help mom in other ways, too. Research has shown that women who breastfeed have a lower risk for osteoporosis later in life. Breastfeeding may also help reduce the risk of uterine, ovarian and breast cancers. It may even help with postpartum weight loss.

In addition, many new mothers simply enjoy that special bond they feel when they’re feeding their baby.

And of course, moms and dads alike benefit when they don’t have to spend big dollars on formula.

All that, and we haven’t even touched on all the benefits breastfeeding has for the baby… research has shown the children who were breastfed tend to be smarter and healthier.

Breastfeeding has also been shown to improve skin and vision in babies, as well as promote stronger teeth and may even lower the risk for obesity, diabetes and heart disease years later.

So if you breastfed your children, congratulations – your kids got a head start and you’re enjoying a lower risk for a terrible condition.

And if any of the women in your life are pregnant, be sure to share this great news with them.