Diabetes in the USA

Diabetes is a killer and I now more about this thanks to your blog. I lost both parents to diabetes so it's vital that people understand.

Ah the south. Classic.

@Alejo, correlation != causation

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

Colorado FTW?

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.

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.

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.

According to this map, diabetes is caused by saying "y'all".

Good sweet tea is worth it.

You're both wrong. This is actually a map showing the Sweet Tea Belt.

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.

Type II Diabetes is caused by many factors - the most important factor is genetics, not obesity. Obesity is only one of the many ways people end up with this condition.