Diabetes and Obesity Prevention by Promoting Healthy Behaviors

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LEADER: Retta Terry, Public Health Advisor

Type 2 diabetes is associated with older age, obesity, family history of diabetes, prior history of gestational diabetes, impaired glucose tolerance, physical inactivity, and race/ethnicity. African Americans, Hispanic/Latino Americans, American Indians, and some Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders are at particularly high risk for type 2 diabetes. Many people with type 2 diabetes can control their blood glucose by following a careful diet, exercise program, losing excess weight, and taking oral medication. Research studies in the United States and abroad have found that lifestyle changes can prevent or delay the onset of type 2 diabetes among high risk adults. Lifestyle interventions included diet and moderate intensity physical activity. For both sexes and all age and racial and ethnic groups, the development of diabetes was reduced 40% to 60% during these studies that lasted 3 to 6 years.

During the past 20 years, obesity among adults has risen significantly in the United States. The latest data from the National Center for Health Statistics shows that 30 percent of U.S. adults 20 years of age and older - over 60 million people - are obese. This increase is not limited to adults. The percentage of young people who are overweight has more than tripled since 1980. Among children and teens aged 6-19 years, 16 percent (over 9 million young people) are considered overweight. These increasing rates raise concern because of their implications for Americans' health. Being overweight or obese increases the risk of many diseases and health conditions, including the following: hypertension, dyslipidemia (for example, high total cholesterol or high levels of triglycerides), type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease, stroke, gallbladder disease, osteoarthritis, sleep apnea and respiratory problems, some cancers, (endometrial, breast, and colon). Much of the chronic disease burden is preventable. Physical inactivity and unhealthy eating contribute to obesity and a number of chronic diseases, including cancer, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes.

2007 Program Objectives

To advance the President's HealthierUS goal of helping Americans live longer, better, and healthier lives and the Departments agenda of identifying and promoting programs that foster healthy behaviors and prevention, OWH will continue to develop and design innovative tools to assist the public in successfully addressing such chronic illnesses as diabetes, obesity, heart disease, and stroke due to poor nutrition and physical inactivity.

The 2006 Program Objectives

1. Provide funds to a variety of organizations to aid in the development or sustainment of effective obesity-related programs in order to affect lifestyle changes that will control, prevent or delay the development of type II diabetes.
2. The interventions implemented must be substantive in nature and incorporate nutrition, physical activity and health/wellness components.

Six grants awarded to Antietam Health Care Foundation/Washington County Hospital, Hagerstown, MD; Cambridge Health Alliance, Cambridge, MA; CHOICES, Kennesaw, GA; Community Health Center, Inc., Meriden, CT; National Kidney Foundation, Ann Arbor, MI; Spectrum Health Hospitals, Grand Rapids, MI.

Current as of June 2007