A Growing Health Problem

November 14, 2009

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Profile America — Saturday, November 14th. Each year, November marks National Diabetes Month. The goal is to make the public aware of the serious nature of the disease and how to detect and control it. When our bodies are unable to maintain a normal blood sugar level, many complications may follow, including kidney failure. The disease is also the leading cause of new cases of blindness. Diabetes in the U.S. is on the rise, and some public health experts even refer to it as an epidemic, fueled by our overweight and inactive lifestyle. Across the country, more than 75,000 people a year die from complications of the disease. You can find these and more facts about America from the U.S. Census Bureau online at <www.census.gov>.

Sources: Chase's Calendar of Events 2009, p. 533
American Diabetes Association
Statistical Abstract of the United States 2009, t. 114
http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/2009edition.html