Originally published June 19 2005
Number of diabetes cases growing rapidly; obesity a big factor
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
The Center for Disease Control recently released numbers showing diabetes in Americans aged 18 to 79 have jumped from five cases in every 1,000 people in 1997 to seven out of every 1,000 in 2003, and the jump is likely obesity related, Web MD reports.
The CDC's latest numbers on diabetes confirm that the disease is skyrocketing in the U.S.
Seven out of 1,000 U.S. adults aged 18-79 years were newly diagnosed with diabetes in 2003.
The numbers were reported by the CDC's Linda Geiss and colleagues in San Diego, at the American Diabetes Association's 65th Annual Scientific Sessions.
About 18 million people of all ages in the U.S. have diabetes, according to CDC estimates from 2002.
That includes 13 million who know they have the disease, plus 5 million more that have not been diagnosed.
They found the highest incidences in older people (aged 65-79 years) and people with excess weight.
In 2003, nearly nine out of 10 people newly diagnosed with diabetes were obese or overweight.
Overweight is defined as a body mass indexbody mass index or BMI of 25-29.99; a BMI of 30-39.99 is obese, and 40 or higher is morbid obesity.
The American Diabetes Association lowered the fasting blood sugar (glucose) threshold in 1997 to indicate a diabetes diagnosis from 140 to 126 milligrams per deciliter.
In a news release, the American Diabetes Association says diagnostic changes may "in part" be involved in rapid increase.
"But it's also a real change in disease incidence due to increasing obesity in the U.S.," says the news release.
An active lifestyle and good nutrition can cut diabetes risk.
A healthy lifestyle and medical care can also help manage diabetes.
It's important to find out if you have diabetes or related conditions, such as the metabolic syndrome, which raises the risk of heart disease and stroke, among other health problems.
While diabetes is still most common among the elderly, it can affect people of any age, including children and teens.
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