Type 2 diabetes is on the rise, but Colorado is healthier – at least when it comes to Type 2 Diabetes rates – than any other state, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
This particular type of diabetes makes up 90-95 percent of cases and is associated with old age, obesity and inactivity. “Type 2 diabetes can be prevented through healthy food choices, physical activity, and weight loss,” reads a statement on the CDC website.
Blame it on Colorado’s fad diets, mountain sports or ceaseless yoga. Our state has kept this disease in check.
But for the country as a whole, things look bleak.
The Washington Post reports that by 2050, one in three people in the United States will have Type 2 diabetes. In some counties in Mississippi and South Dakota more than 14 percent of the population already has the disease. Here, in many counties, less than 4 percent has it.
Before getting too cocky about our state’s diabetes stats, it’s worth noting that only 10 counties in the country experienced a decrease in Type 2 Diabetes from 2004 to 2012. None of those counties are located in Colorado.
Photo credit: John, Creative Commons, Via Flickr.
Well, I see something else that the red states excel at.