In the next quarter century, the number of people with diabetes in the United States will double to 44.1 million from 23.7 million, predict researchers at the University of Chicago. Spending on the disease will almost triple to $336 billion in the same time period.
The numbers have huge implications for overall health-care costs and potential reform of the system, and for the population’s quality of life. Individuals with the disease face years of drug treatment, frequent doctor visits, and a host of related, sometimes fatal, ailments.
The vast majority of diagnosed cases undoubtedly is related to the increased obesity rate in the nation. Obesity and inactivity are major causes of the disease.
No matter what decision Congress reaches on health care reform legislation, until more Americans take personal responsibility for their own health, costs will only go up.
Given the fact our behaviors are so often influenced by our environment, it’s even more essential that individuals make a pointed effort to improve their well-being.
“Many Americans have access to an abundance of relatively inexpensive, highly palatable food, and owing to technological advancements, physical activity has been engineered out of the lifestyles of many Americans,” says Chris Melby, a professor and department head at Colorado State University’s Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition. “To prevent obesity, one must often swim upstream against the norms of our current society.”
We need to think more creatively about ways to reduce the obesity rate and get people moving. More importantly, the push should come from all levels, from insurance companies to government to CEOs of companies to every one of us.
Since Colorado is one of the leanest states in the nation, it is hard to think of the problem as “ours.” But we all pay the price for obesity, and consequently diabetes, through taxpayer-funded Medicare and Medicaid and high insurance premiums.
There have been efforts at change. Some businesses provide healthy foods in cafeterias or have instituted incentives for weight loss and in the process have cut absenteeism. More builders are configuring communities to encourage walking and physical activity.
While some argue adults should be allowed to engage in risky behavior, others say it’s time for the federal government to step in. After all, one of the most effective ways to reduce tobacco use was the cigarette tax.
Unfortunately, obesity and diabetes now affect more children than ever. Schools don’t always promote healthy lifestyles. Sodas and other high fructose and hydrogenated foods are easily accessible. And, in an attempt to focus on test scores, far too many have trimmed or eliminated physical fitness programs.
It’s time to change the lifestyle landscape. It will take all of us to do it.
