Idaho’s Diabetes Rates More Than Triple in Past Decade

The prevalence of diabetes in Idaho has more than tripled in the past decade, rising from 3 percent to almost 10 percent of the Idaho adult population. The data comes out of a new report from the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention that shows diabetes rates rising dramatically nationwide.

“The news is alarming and confirms what we already know: Diabetes is one of the biggest public health threats faced by Idahoans today,” says Idaho Department of Health and Welfare Diabetes Prevention and Control Program Manager Mimi Hartman-Cunningham. “We need to continue to work as a state to raise awareness of the disease and educate Idahoans to make healthy choices that can help prevent chronic illness.”

Approximately 86,000 Idaho adults are living with diabetes and an estimated 21,000 remain undiagnosed. Diabetes has many serious complications, including heart disease, stroke, kidney disease, blindness and amputations.

Hartman-Cunningham says the increase in diagnosed diabetes in Idaho is related to a number of factors, including the growing number of Idaho adults who are overweight and obese. Six in 10 Idaho adults are overweight or obese, and one in four Idaho adults is obese, which means they weigh at least 30 percent more than their ideal body weight.

Earlier diagnosis of diabetes and Idaho’s aging population also play a role in the increased prevalence in the disease. About 20 percent of Idahoans 65 and older have the chronic disease.

November is National Diabetes Month, and Idaho health officials and community partners continue to address the growing problem of diabetes with the guidance of Idaho’s 5-Year Diabetes State Plan. Last summer, the Diabetes Alliance of Idaho unveiled the plan which calls for increasing access to care for those already diagnosed and stepping up educational efforts to get the word out about the importance of healthy eating, physical activity, and modest weight loss in preventing the disease.

Health officials also urge adults who may be at risk for diabetes to work with their health care providers to manage their health. Those at risk for diabetes include people who are overweight, older than 65, have high blood pressure, get little or no physical activity, have a family history of diabetes and have diabetes during pregnancy or a baby weighing more than nine pounds.

“There is hope to turn this around,” says Hartman-Cunningham. “We really need to remind people that their part in addressing the issue is to eat a well-balanced diet lower in calories and engage in regular, moderate exercise. These practices coupled with modest weight loss can help prevent diabetes, delay the onset of disease and help those already diagnosed with diabetes prevent further complications from the illness.”

To find out more about diabetes please visit The American Diabetes Association web site, and the National Diabetes Education Program. Download a copy of the Idaho 5-Year Diabetes State Plan. Diabetes Resources are also available on the CDHD website."