A new global study on diabetes shows the number of people living with the disease is expected to double by the year 2050.

"By 2050, we will have more than 1.3 billion people in the world with diabetes. That is staggering, and we see it, we see it in our neighborhood, we're also seeing it across the world," Dr. Shivani Agarwal with Fleischer Institute of Diabetes and Metabolism said.

It's no secret diabetes in the Rio Grande Valley is a big concern. In fact, another study done locally shows the Valley's diabetes rate is also expected to get worse.

The study done by Unidos Contra La Diabetes predicts the local diabetes rate will increase by 600 percent over the next 40 years.

There are several factors that go into someone being diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes. They include bad eating habits, little exercise and alcohol and tobacco use.

One doctor says small changes in our everyday lives can be the difference in being diagnosed or not.

"If we think about diabetes as an economic issue, then I'm hoping that policymakers will actually start paying attention to trying to curb diabetes and allocate more resources or policies toward prevention," Dr. Agarwal said.

The Valley has one of the highest rates of diabetes in the entire country. Health officials encourage parents to teach their kids how to live a healthy lifestyle to prevent them from getting diabetes.

This past April, Channel 5 News held the Heart of the Valley campaign that focused on diabetes awareness. To read different stories from lifestyle changes to treatment options surrounding diabetes, visit our Heart of the Valley campaign tab.