Diabetes in the USA

We've been told before that more and more Americans are getting Type 2 diabetes (which is brought upon by obesity), but you may be surprised that the geographical distribution of the disease is actually quite striking*.

Healthline compiled data from CDC's Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance system and the US Census Bureau's Population Estimates Program to create an interactive map where you can see the relationship between average household income, food desert (no, not "dessert" - food desert is an area where healthy and affordable food like fresh fruits and vegetables are not easily obtainable), and type 2 diabetes.

Link - Thanks Tracy!

*As you can see, diabetes is far more prevalent in the Southern United States (the red areas in Arizona are the Navajo and Apache Indian reservations)


While the strongest contributing component to Type 2 Diabetes may be genetic, the reason the number of cases has doubled over the last 30 years in the US is not due to a change in genetics. Incidently, the US also has roughly double the number of deaths due to complications from Diabetes than is average globally. I'm going to guess that obesity is the leading contributor to this historical growth trend. If preventing Diabetes from occurring is your concern, I think obesity and diet is the place to look for prevention. Sources: http://www.naturalnews.com/020035.html and http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=USA+diabetes
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To echo Adam (above), to say that Type 2 Diabetes is caused by obesity is inaccurate. Obesity can be a contributing factor, but the strongest component is genetics. There are many people diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes who have never been obese.
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wordygrrl, goodness you have an incredibly limited view of people who vote Republican and the American South. Since when do all people living in the South vote Republican? LOL If they did, there would never be any Democrats in the White House.

Worst of all you assume that because people vote Republican that they do so ''blindly'', meaning that you think they are dumb. How intolerant of you. Can't deal with the fact that not everyone has the same beliefs as you do? Grown up much?

In any case, if you think poverty amd racism are limited to the South, try visiting Detroit one of these days. (And, yes, racism isn't just a white people thing...surprise.) Or that church in Chicago where our current president sat and listened to hate-filled anti-white sermons for 20 years. Amen.

Thanks to Adam for pointing out that diabetes is indeed genetic. There are thin people who are diabetic and fat people who are not. I have family in South Texas and several are diabetic. And none of them are obese.
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A side effect of voting blindly Republican for too many years? Seriously, it is odd how this particular part of the US a hotbed of so many things: poverty, diabetes, illiteracy, obesity, radical ("nutcase level") evangelists, racism, homophobia, etc. The Confederate states may still be part of the Union, but they're their own country in a lot of respects.
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Actually, it looks like Type II diabetes is caused by POVERTY. See this map, showing where people are living in poverty. It looks like regions of high poverty correlate very closely with regions of high diabetes incidence:

http://visualizingeconomics.com/2007/08/11/united-states-poverty-map/

There are a few exceptions: in Southern Texas, poverty is higher but diabetes is not. But it's pretty much one-to-one elsewhere.

So, why this correlation? I think that poor people can only afford starchy food like potatoes and spaghetti, so they develop diabetes.
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