The number of diabetes-related hospitalizations in young women is on the rise, according to a study published in the Journal of Women’s Health.

Diabetes is often diagnosed among overweight people, which suggests that the growing obesity rate nationwide could be associated with those who are hospitalized for the condition. Researchers suggest that women aged 20 to 39 are more likely to be categorized as obese than men in the same age group, which can further complicate the blood sugar disorder and lead to medical treatment.

Also, research has shown that women are more likely to suffer illnesses related to diabetes than men, leading to a greater need to be treated by a physician. In fact, female diabetic patients are nearly two times more likely to be treated at a hospital for related complications than young men.

Joyce Lee, lead author of the study, stated that healthcare needs more “diabetes prevention interventions [that] target the young adult population, and women in particular, to prevent further increases in diabetes.” She added that there is a greater demand for “medical interventions to improve the overall health of young adults and diabetes.”

In 2007, approximately 23.6 million people in the United States had developed diabetes, according to the American Diabetes Association (ADA).