Holiday gluttony can spell disaster for undiagnosed diabetics

"The obesity epidemic is surging and people don’t realize they’re setting themselves up to develop diabetes. They’re like ticking time bombs,� said Dr. Manisha Chandalia, an endocrinologist at UT Southwestern. “Without treatment, high levels of blood sugars in the body can damage blood vessels and nerves over time, leading to high cholesterol, hypertension, stroke, kidney disease and amputations.� Hearty feasts and couch-potato marathons are holiday traditions, but UT Southwestern Medical Center experts warn that packing on pounds and not exercising could be deadly for the 6 million Americans who have diabetes and don’t even know it.