Latino parents should think twice before praising their child for being an adorable gordito, because as a new study released today shows, almost a quarter of American teens has prediabetes or diabetes.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, obesity affects approximately 34 percent of adults and 17 percent of children in the United States and the obesity statistics for young Latinos are particularly frightening.

Latinos are currently the most populous and fastest growing U.S. ethnic minority, and according to recent estimates, nearly 40% of Latino children and teens are overweight and more than 20% are obese.

The gains made by Latinos since the Civil Rights era have been numerous. None of these gains could have been made without the help and voice of Latino advocacy organizations.