Diabetes rates skyrocket among Americans, CDC says; 8% of U.S. population

[DeepModem Mom]

Source: CNN/AP

ATLANTA (AP) -- The number of Americans with diabetes has grown to about 24 million people, or roughly 8 percent of the U.S. population, the government said Tuesday.

A report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, based on data from 2007, said the number represents an increase of about 3 million over two years. The CDC estimates another 57 million people have blood sugar abnormalities called pre-diabetes, which puts people at increased risk for the disease.

The percentage of people unaware that they have diabetes fell from 30 percent to 25 percent, according to the study.

Dr. Ann Albright, director of the CDC Division of Diabetes Translation, said the report has "both good news and bad news."

"It is concerning to know that we have more people developing diabetes, and these data are a reminder of the importance of increasing awareness of this condition, especially among people who are at high risk," Albright said in a statement.
"On the other hand, it is good to see that more people are aware that they have diabetes."...

Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2008/HEALTH/conditions/06/25/diabetes.rates.ap/index.html

[bullimiami]

1. high fructose corn syrup.

if youre inclined to conspiracy theories it looks pretty suspicious

-corn syrup is cheaper and sweeter
-food industry gets the US population hooked on it, its in everything
-result is an epidemic of obesity and diabetes
-population is now dependent on long term medical care and drugs to survive


win / win / win for industry
lose / lose / lose for the population

[paparush]

2. Vertical Integration

We own the crops that are used to make the food.
We own the stores where you buy the food.
We own the clinics that diagnose the disease.
We own the pharmas that make the meds that treat the disease.
We own the funeral homes that bury your sad ass.

[SpiralHawk]

6. "Smirk." - Republicon corporate fatcats

"Would you like some genetically mutant food-facsimile product to go with your daily massive dose of high-fructose corn syrup. As if - smirk - we would give you a choice. As if."

- Republicon corporate fatcats

[noonwitch]

5. Couple that with a lack of exercise

Kids play videogames instead of baseball, these days.

I think it depends though on whether the increase is in adult-onset diabetes or juvenile diabetes. The former is contributed to by lifestyle, the latter isn't.

[Scout]

9. IMO the "lifestyle" doesn't cause Type II....

you are born Type II just as you are born Type I, but the early symptoms of Type II (inability to lose weight, insulin resistance, carb addiction) are not immediately life threatening.

[Phred42]

8. Ding, ding ding, ding ding,ding ding,ding ding!

I'm looking for that study that shows Obesity and Diabetes rise with the introduction and usage rates of that crap to the US Market

It's out there

[Igel]

11. Maybe.

I saw some talks in '96 or '97 at a cacti/succulent symposium that looked at diabetes rates, probably Type II. Diet is an environmental pressure.


Notice the distribution: "After adjusting for population age differences between various groups, the rate of diagnosed diabetes was highest among American Indians and Alaska Natives (16.5 percent). This was followed by blacks (11.8 percent) and Hispanics (10.4 percent), which includes rates for Puerto Ricans (12.6 percent), Mexican Americans (11.9 percent), and Cubans (8.2 percent). By comparison, the rate for Asian Americans was 7.5 percent, with whites at 6.6 percent."

The distribution parallels, at least roughly, the length of time each groups' ancestors had a high-carbohydrate diet. E. Asia, SW Asia--10k years BPE or so. Subsaharan Africans, considerably less. Taino, Arawak and Native Americans, not so long. Guatemala had corn early on, but the corn crops in many areas was small, at best. I'm guessing that the diabetes rate in Oaxaca is lower than in Sonora among indigenous folk.

Indigenous plants can help, even after factoring out the carbohydrates that a pile of nopalitos would displace. They've identified specific substances that work fairly well, even in pure form. (It's an open question as to whether they would help non-Amerinds, or non-SW Amerinds--it depends on the mechanism, the researchers were cheery, and probably rightly so). More exercise helps, as well. Lower calorie diet overall. The usual prescriptions. But the evidence also points to diet being an environment in exercising evolutionary pressure. Parsimonious use of calories gave people an edge in surviving and breeding; when Europe and Asia got high-carbo foods, they undoubtedly also had a diabetes epidemic, with those most sensitive having fewer offspring. Now that the native populations have a high-carbo diet what was a plus in survival is now a minus. Offspring is what evolution's all about.

[kimmerspixelated]

12. Excellent Post!

There have been reportss that suggest that diabetes is also or maybe just a disease caused by environmental toxins. I would be interested to read something about the history of Diabetes, where and when the first cases began.What were other factors? But as far as why the increase, so many just don't eat right, could care less about what they put in their bodies as long as it tastes good. I have noticed an awful lot of parents let kids have sodas with their meals, not just occasional outings! We serve only water or lemon zinger tea with our meals! But, the weekend will include maybe one soda for the kid when we are out! Likewise-there are lots of adults that are totally hooked on sodas!

[enough]

3. I wonder how much of this is caused by a changing definition of diabetes?

I do not know the answer to this, but it seems to me that the entire category of "Type II Diabetes" is fairly new.

[ginnyinWI]

10. it's true that the definition has changed.

Normal people have fasting blood glucose levels between 80 and 100. Twelve years ago my fasting blood glucose was 126, and they only said "you need to lose a little weight." Today they would probably get me in to see a diabetic educator and start behavior modification.

Then ten years later my fasting blood glucose hit 140, and I did start a diet/exercise program--with the help of a diabetes educator--and that has been all I needed to do to control my mild case of Type II.

Please people, if you do have a higher fasting BG level, don't just put it off and do nothing. Seek some help in making changes to your diet and exercise. Just taking off a few pounds can do wonders. It can prevent your needing to go on medication and/or have complications. It doesn't/shouldn't be a crash program--just a few limits on the amount of food you eat and how active you are. I was able to take off 25 pounds that way in about nine months. And as long as I continue to watch what I eat and keep active, my BG levels are nearly normal.

[Sanity Claws]

4. Link between depression and diabetes

I saw an article linking the two within the past week. Sorry I don't have the cite available.
I wonder how much of our current "on your own, no safetynet" economy is causing stress induced depression and diabetes.

[kickysnana]

7. All that AND They also changed the criteria.

There was a story just this week that said that the aggressive lowering of blood sugar did not reduce deaths in fact increased them possibly due to hypoglycemia (low blood sugar). If the problem is regulation by your body you have to have a little wiggle room.

A senior in our building was diagnosed with diabetes. Her blood sager (non-fasting) was 120. She was given pills and NO METER and an told to make an appointment for diabetes education earliest two months away. Of course she ended up in the emergency room with low blood sugar last week because she was taking the pills and had cut out all carbs and sugars as ducted by her physician who seemed surprised she wasn't able to get the education done the week she got the pills.

DUH!

[Azooz]

13. Dr. Atkins

Dr. Atkins had been warning about this for decades, and was bought to Congress by the sugar lobby - I'm a decade out of date on the subject but his diet was started by his studies on diabetes and heart conditions and ended with him pointing a finger at the culprits.

[kestrel91316]

14. HFCS. Couch potatoes. Car potatoes.

Americans need to start eating right and walking more. EOM