Diabetes a serious threat to Tennesseans' health

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We often talk about where Tennessee ranks in the country in a variety of measures. We talked earlier this year about the state's low rank in education and college degrees, and how we worked to secure federal funding and changed our education laws to try to improve.

But there's at least one ranking that Tennessee leads, and it's not a good one. According to the New America Foundation, Tennessee's percentage of its population with diabetes is the highest in the country. Nearly 12 percent of Tennesseans have diabetes, a disease that is often brought on by unhealthy lifestyles and a family history of the disease.

Diabetes is a serious threat to Tennesseans' health, and especially that of African Americans. According to the national Office of Minority Health, African Americans are twice as likely to be diagnosed with diabetes as whites, are more likely to suffer serious complications like end-stage renal disease and lower extremity amputations, and are twice as likely to die from diabetes. Even those who don't undergo life-threatening risks still suffer from nausea, blurred vision and extreme fatigue, and must constantly monitor their insulin levels for the rest of their lives.

This week a joint committee of lawmakers sat down to talk about what needs to be done to ensure Tennesseans are receiving proper knowledge and care concerning diabetes. The conversations taking place are similar to those I mentioned earlier this year concerning kidney health, and they're conversations that need to be had.

In 2006, the state legislature authorized the establishment of the Tennessee Center for Diabetes Prevention and Health Improvement. The purpose of the Center is to develop, implement, and promote a statewide effort to combat the proliferation of Type 2 diabetes, the most common form of diabetes. The Center has funded national programs in high schools to inform students of diabetes and how to develop health lifestyle habits to reduce the risk of developing diabetes.

But we must do more as a state to combat this disease. We must create clear guidelines for informing the public about the dangers of diabetes, and what we can do to prevent it. We must commit, both individually and as a community, to healthier lifestyles that include smoking cessation, better diet and more exercise.

A study this week found that Tennessee has the second-highest rate in the nation for obesity, a leading risk factor for diabetes. It's time to stop leading the wrong kind of rankings. We can start by fighting diabetes.

(Senator Reginald Tate represents portions of Memphis and Shelby County. Contact him at sen.reginald.tate@capitol.tn.gov or 615-741-2509 or 320 War Memorial Building, Nashville, TN 37243-0033.)

Additional information:

Patient Awareness of Treatment In Diabetic Kidney Disease (Kidney
Renal Failure Diet Care Guide Information
Omega-3 fatty acid rich diet prevents diabetic renal disease
Diabetes Diet Type 1
Diabetic Kidney Damage
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Diet and Kidney Disease
Staving Off Kidney Stones Diabetes Self-Management
Clinical Services
Diabetes and Other Related Health Issues
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