M Voice: Join fight to prevent spread of diabetes

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South Dakota recently received a troubling health report. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced that almost 7 percent of adults in the state are living with diabetes - a number that has doubled since 1994.

According to the CDC's national diabetes surveillance system, in some South Dakota counties the numbers are even more critical. In Shannon County, for instance, 14.3 percent of adults are diagnosed diabetics. And those numbers only are rising.

The CDC estimates that if this current trend continues, one in three Americans will develop diabetes sometime in their lifetime. Yet despite its growing incidence rate, diabetes largely is a silent epidemic. In fact, many Americans do not see it as a serious medical condition.

While our growing knowledge of the disease and practices such as eating healthy, exercising daily, checking blood sugar regularly and taking medications as prescribed have helped diabetic patients manage their health, diabetes still can lead to serious medical complications, including heart disease, stroke, kidney disease, blindness and infections.

It also contributes significantly to our nation's growing health care costs. According to the CDC, average medical expenditures among people with diabetes are 2.3 times higher than non-diabetic patients. In 2007, direct medical costs and indirect costs for diabetic patients, which include disability, work loss and premature mortality, reached $174 billion.

According to a recent study from the American Diabetes Association, if we don't start making significant changes, diabetes prevalence in the United States will more than double in the next 25 years, a trend that South Dakota already is experiencing.

For the health of our nation, we cannot allow this condition to remain quiet any longer. Now is the time for us to take action, learn more about diabetes and engage in the fight to stop this disease.

There are simple things each of us can do in our own lives to prevent diabetes. The Mayo Clinic recommends exercising regularly, eating plenty of fiber and whole grains, losing excess weight and avoiding fad diets to concentrate on making healthy lifestyle changes. You also can encourage your friends and families to follow this same advice, and if you know someone who is diabetic, you can offer your support in helping them to manage their disease.

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