MonticelloLive

Today, nearly 24 million people in the United States have diabetes, and one-quarter of those don’t even know it. Even more alarming is that 57 million Americans are at risk of developing the deadly disease. As we recognize American Diabetes Month this November, we should all take a moment to reflect on how this disease affects us all, adults as well as children.
Since 1987, the death rate due to diabetes has increased by 45 percent, and sadly, diabetes remains the nation’s seventh leading cause of death. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), if the present trends continue, 1 in 3 children born today will develop diabetes in their lifetime. This disease has a tremendous impact on our sons and daughters, our friends and spouses, and our parents and grandparents. That is why I have worked hard in the House of Representatives to bring together Democrats and Republicans in an effort to fight this devastating disease with the goal of eventually finding a cure once and for all.
I serve on the Congressional Diabetes Caucus which was organized in 1996. To date, this caucus has grown to be the largest in the Congress with more than 250 members. Our mission is to educate members of Congress and their staffs about diabetes and to support legislation that would improve diabetes research, education and treatment.
Earlier this year, I cosponsored the National Diabetes Coordinator Act of 2008 which would establish a National Diabetes Coordinator to work with the federal government to reduce the incidence, progression, and impact of diabetes and its complications. This legislation would require the Health and Human Services Secretary to develop a national strategy to combat diabetes and would also require the Secretary of Agriculture to develop approaches to allow food programs and nutritional support to be better targeted to those at risk for diabetes and those already diagnosed.
As the facts illustrate, diabetes is relentless, debilitating and-without question-deadly. If left undiagnosed or untreated, the consequences of diabetes are far more serious than many people realize. American Diabetes Month is an opportunity for all of us to look at diabetes differently and to get involved in the fight against it. The most critical thing you can do is to take control of your own health and to encourage your families and your communities to do the same.
To learn more about diabetes and its complications and warning signs, please visit www.diabetes.org or call the American Diabetes Association at 1-800-DIABETES.