HEALTH TIPS: Diabetes, Southern style
Health Tip – Audio Version – 
“Diabetes, Southern style”
Health Tip – Healthy Next Step – State-Based Diabetes Prevention & Control Programs (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
The number of people being diagnosed with diabetes has increased dramatically across the United States.
Southern states and Puerto Rico are leading the pack with increased new diagnosis.
“Risk factors such as physical inactivity and obesity that are associated with type 2 diabetes are higher in the South when compared to other regions in the U.S. It is important to remember that these risk factors are important throughout the United States. In our study, diabetes increased across all regions and in most of the 33 states we examined.’’
Diabetes can be prevented or delayed by moderate weight loss and increased physical activity.
Kirtland also says 24 million people have diabetes and about 25 percent don’t know they do.
The study was in the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
Health Tip courtesy of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Last revised: November, 19 2008
July 7th, 2009 at 7:35 pm
I know that folks in the south eat more fats, butter, bacon grease, etc. These might contribute to the obesity that is a precursor to Type 2 diabetes. But it’s not just fats. Fats alone won’t do it, it’s the *combination* with high carbohydrates — corn, potatoes, starches — that is making obesity almost epidemic in the south.
Something’s got to change. Cut the fats, not likely. Cut the carbs, not likely either. Well then increase the physical output a lot more, like our grandparents did. We have simply *got* to watch the body fat and keep it down one way or the other. The modern, physically easy lifestyle and high-fat, high-carb diet is killing us.