It’s a trend that Donald Binz cannot help but notice.
The family physician at SSM St. Joseph Health Center, St. Charles, says he sees more than 250 patients with diabetes, a five-fold increase from just 20 years ago.
Further illustrating the far-reaching impact of diabetes on the nation, a new report by the UnitedHealth Group’s Center for Health Reform & Modernization reveals more than 50 percent of Americans could have diabetes or prediabetes by 2020.
“The report is very accurate, and it is overwhelming and scary to think about these numbers,” says Binz, who has been a family physician in St. Charles for more than 30 years.
Diabetes affects the body's ability to use blood sugar for energy. The main types include type 1 diabetes, type 2 diabetes, and gestational diabetes. Diabetes affects 27 million Americans, and 60 million Americans do not know that they have prediabetes, according to the study. As one of the nation’s fastest-growing diseases, the study claims that diabetes and prediabetes will account for an estimated 10 percent of total health care spending by the end of the decade at an annual cost of $500 billion.
To address this problem, Binz says it starts with addressing one of the primary causes of diabetes: obesity. According to the study, more than two-thirds of adults and 17 percent of children are overweight or obese. Binz says our nation’s culture encourages a less active lifestyle and a dependency on fast food—something that starts in childhood and continues through adulthood.
“The number of children who are heavier is higher now than 20 years ago,” Binz says. “Many of them stay heavy as an adult. I’m seeing young people in their 20s with this problem.”
In response, Binz recommends that parents start promoting healthier and physically active lives for their children. “If you start when your children are young, it will become more natural and routine,” he explains. “Setting up the expectation early on is a good thing.”
Further, Binz says families need to schedule consistent physical activity throughout the year, limit time in front of the television and video game systems, and aim for more well-rounded meals at home. If families need to eat on the go, Binz says they should try to eat some of the healthier options now offered by many fast-food restaurants.
As far as adults, Binz encourages all of his patients to implement exercise into their daily lives as well as take many of the steps mentioned here. The Mayo Clinic also recommends taking these five steps.
“We need to reach out to all people, even if they are not prediabetic yet,” Binz says.
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