Diabetes Why the High Valley Incidence?
The Center for Disease Control has just released the latest data on the increasing epidemic of diabetes in the United States. Now 8 percent of the U.S. population (24 million people) has diabetes and another 57 million have a prediabetes condition. Hispanics continue to have a high risk of diabetes with 10.4 percent overall and specifically 11.9 percent for Mexican-Americans. For the state of Texas there was an overall worsening by about 3%. Hidalgo County had over 27,000 cases making up about 6.5 %, Cameron County had over 19,000 making up about 8.1%, Starr County had 2,700 making up about 7.4%, and Willacy County had about 1000 cases making up about 7.8% of the population. It is the writer’s belief that the true number of diabetics in the Rio Grande Valley was probably significantly underestimated because of lack of access to health care and poverty in our region. It does not make sense that Hidalgo County which had at least an 89.5% Hispanic population in the 2000 would be below the national average. Diabetes is characterized by the body not responding appropriately to increased levels of sugar in the bloodstream. There is a form of Diabetes Type I that occurs in youth where the body stops making insulin the protein which controls the use of sugar. The most common form and the most preventable form is Type II which usually occurs in middle age or beyond where the body becomes resistant to insulin. This is the type of diabetes that is increasing severely. It is usually associated with obesity and lack of exercise in a person who has an inherited tendency to acquire diabetes. According to the CDC, diabetes has now become the 7th leading cause of death leading to heart disease, stroke, kidney failure, lower extremity amputation, and blindness.
portant for Mexican-Americans with a family history of diabetes that are obese to undergo screening for diabetes. Testing may determine that a diabetic precondition is present which can be reversed if proper exercise and diet are followed. If diabetes is diagnosed then with proper treatment the chances for complications like heart disease, blindness, and amputation can be significantly reduced. Many studies show that Mexican-American children are twice as likely to be obese as the rest of the population even by age 3. Texas State Senator Leticia Van De Putte in 2006 urged that parents be taught the principals of good nutrition and exercise. Another disturbing trend is for adolescent Latino males to “get big” (slang for obese) because in the jail influenced hip-hop culture this is considered macho. A 2006 study showed that a shocking 72% of people living in the South Texas in Region 11 (which includes the Rio Grande Valley) were significantly overweight. Our society must redouble its effort to fight obesity and recognize the warnings of diabetes. The problem is not that we enjoy Mexican food. A well balanced Mexican diet is as good as any on earth. We must educate our society on proper lifestyle so that for our children diabetes will become a rare event. Note: Our website @ www.contempomag.com will be hosting educational videos about Diabetes all month.
The great tragedy of Type II Diabetes is that it is mostly By Tony Barclay Editor’s Note-Tony Barclay is a retired preventable and when diagnosed early can often be con- physician and Harvard graduate who likes to write about trolled. In its early stages diabetes can have absolutely no medical and scientific issues. symptoms despite there being ongoing internal damage to the eyes, kidneys, and heart. This is why it is very impage 22 contempo magazine