GONZALES — New data by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that one in three teens nationwide has prediabetes.

"It's alarming and it should really be a wake-up call, a come to Jesus moment for parents and teenagers to have some serious conversations about their health and their future." Ochsner Health's Clayton Runfalo, M.D. said.

According to the CDC, prediabetes is when your blood glucose, or blood sugar levels, are higher than normal, but not high enough to be classified as diabetes. If not treated, prediabetes can lead to type 2 diabetes, the most common form of diabetes.

"Diabetes isn't a sugar problem, it's an insulin problem, and that creates the sugar issues that we talk about. Your body uses sugar for fuel. It's the fuel it runs on. It's the gas for your engine. The trouble is, your body can't use the sugar without insulin," Runfalo said.

Runfalo says that insulin is essentially the key that unlocks the doors to cells and tissues, allowing sugar to enter and be used for energy.

Diabetes, on the other hand, is a chronic disease where the body either doesn't produce enough insulin or can't effectively use the insulin it produces, leading to high blood sugar levels.

One of the main risk factors that can lead to prediabetes is being overweight, Runfalo said.

"When you're overweight and you have extra adipose tissue on your body, that affects hormone levels, it affects insulin levels, it can make your body not run as efficiently as it should," he said.

Runfalo discussed several small changes that teens can make to their everyday routine that can delay or prevent prediabetes from becoming type 2 diabetes, such as physical activity.

"At school, you know during your lunch break, often kids may have an extra five or 10 minutes," he said.

"Instead of sitting in the cafeteria or sitting on a bench outside, get some friends together, go for a walk around the courtyard, or go for a walk around the campus. When you get home from school, if you take the bus, grab a couple of friends and go for a walk up and down the street for 5 to 10 minutes."

Equally as important as exercise, Runfalo said, is diet.

"Fresh fruits, fresh vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins, small portion size. It's surprising how little of a portion size we actually need to survive," Runfalo said.

Runfalo also recommended that parents plan out their teen or child's lunch the night before to make sure they're getting the key foods. He emphasized how important it is to avoid packaged and processed foods.

Ochsner Health also recommends drinking water more, as it makes you feel full and prevents overeating.