Alexandria, Virginia - Former professional player Dmitri Young impressed the baseball world when he appeared at a game this summer, having lost about 100 pounds since he last played in 2010.

His stunning transformation started with taking control of his type 2 diabetesa condition characterized by high blood glucose levels caused by either a lack of insulin or the body's inability to use insulin efficiently. Type 2 diabetes develops most often in middle-aged and older adults but can appear in young people.X.

Young’s story makes the perfect centerpiece for the January/February 2015 issue of Diabetes Forecast®, the Healthy Living Magazine of the American Diabetes Association, which is packed with tips for improving your health in the new year.In Healthy Hitter, Young describes his diagnosis in November 2006 it took five days in intensive care to bring his blood glucosethe main sugar found in the blood and the body's main source of energy. Also called blood sugar.X to normal levels and his long path to wellness.

The man who was once among the top 10 heaviest players in the history of baseball is now a model for diabetes management and positive thinking. Young achieved and maintains his results through diet, exercise, an insulina hormone that helps the body use glucose for energy. The beta cells of the pancreas make insulin. When the body cannot make enough insulin, it is taken by injection or through use of an insulin pump.X regimen and a newfound commitment to sobriety. In the article he shares his best tips for other people with diabetes, including how to work through weight loss plateaus and how to find a support system.

As Young has learned, a diabetes diagnosisthe determination of a disease from its signs and symptoms.X is profoundly life-changing. “When people look at forever, it sounds like a prison sentence. You don’t see the light at the end of the tunnel,” he says. "But for me, it’s about feeling good.”