Want to help your child avoid the many heath risks associated with diabetes? Then teach him or her to spot — and steer clear of — so-called simple sugars. A recent study by experts at the University of Southern California found a strong connection between the amount of sugar kids ate and whether or not they showed the first signs of type 2 diabetes. Sure enough, kids who reported eating sugar every day had clear signs that they were headed for problems. Even more shocking, nearly 40 percent of the sugar they were eating came from soda or sugary "fruit" drinks.

So what can you do to help children? Educate them about the impact too much sugar has on their health, and help them learn to read food labels and ingredient lists to identify high-sugar foods. Keep plenty of fresh fruit in your house to replace sweet snacks, and encourage your kids to quench their thirst with nature's perfect drink — water! — instead of sweet drinks. Remember, sugar itself isn't bad, but you can definitely have too much of a good thing!