According to the American Diabetes Association’s Richard Bergenstal, M.D., as American families exercise less and eat more, the risk for Type 2 diabetes among the nation’s children is dramatically growing. Medical expert Dr. Nancy Snyderman and nutrition guru Joy Bauer highlighted other risk factors such as family history and high blood pressure as well as which foods parents should ensure their kids are avoiding.

Later on MSNBC’s Dr. Nancy, American Diabetes Association expert, Dr. R. Paul Robertson, weighed in on the latest research and stats. Both segments support Mullen and the ADA’s efforts to Stop Diabetes.

Earlier this year, the Association chose Mullen to help shape a bolder approach in the way it discusses diabetes. Since February, a collaborative team from Mullen’s Pittsburgh and Boston offices has worked with the Association to shape a new national movement to Stop Diabetes – to confront it, fight it, and most importantly, stop this deadly disease from stealing moments, hours and days from millions of children and adults.

It is a simple message tied to an audacious goal.

Stop Diabetes has become the unifying rallying cry of the American Diabetes Association, bringing together all of the organization’s resources from patient education programs, local walks, rides and events, to professional outreach and support.

The new site encourages people with diabetes and those who wish to join the movement to share their stories of living with diabetes, and provides resources to learn about how anyone can stop diabetes in their community, participate in American Diabetes Association activities and give their time and resources to help those affected by diabetes.

New public service announcements featuring real people with diabetes underscore the importance of the movement and bring the reality of living with diabetes every day into sharp focus. Together, with a concerted public relations and social media program, our goal is to encourage 1,000,000 people to share their stories in the next 12 months, and 3,000,000 people to join the movement by 2012.

Beyond that, the program endeavors to forever change the way we as a nation think, feel and act about diabetes.  To incite people to action once they understand that diabetes takes more lives than breast cancer and AIDS combined. That a person is newly diagnosed with diabetes every 20 seconds. And most importantly, that if we don’t do something to stop it, one in three children born today face a future with diabetes. It is simply a cause that cannot be ignored.

To get involved, visit www.stopdiabetes.com, follow the American Diabetes Association on Facebook and Twitter or call the American Diabetes Hotline at 1-800-DIABETES.