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Another winter punch heading toward Ohio
Man robbed at Tallmadge Avenue eatery
Complaints against officer keep coming
Four teens restrain man, take items from his Akron home
Police: Ohio girl dies after fall into snow bank
Police: Man tries to buy crack with credit card
Woman rescued after falling through rotting floor in house
Blogs:
First Bell - On Education:
No City of Akron basketball tonight
Pets:
Pet telethon re-airs
The Heldenfiles:
Chipmunks "Squeakquel" on DVD/BD March 30
Akron Zips:
Zips favored on road against MAC West leader
Tribe Matters:
Blogmail response on Hafner
Cleveland Browns:
Stallworth's contract terminated
Balanced Ledger:
QB in Browns future: another mock draft
Kent State Sports:
KSU Notes – February 9
Cleveland Cavaliers:
NBA Power Rankings from Around the Internet
Buckeye Blogging:
Buckeyes grab 18 players on signing day
Varsity Letters:
Five local gridders to play in Big33
All Da King's Men:
Palin At The Tea Party Convention
Blog of Mass Destruction:
Republican Pre-Conditions
Akron Law Café:
Law, Love and Chocolate
Car Chase:
Collector Car Hobby Loses One of the Best—Jim Roll
Let's Talk Real Estate:
Decisions Decisions: Credit Cards or Your Mortgage?
Ohio Travels with Betty:
Loucile is looking for a Lake Erie getaway in June for three kids, ages 1, 3, and 5.
Sound Check:
Talk of the Town – Top entertainment picks for the weekend
HRLite House:
OFCCP Report
Akron Gamer:
Makers of 'Castle Crashers' unveil 'BattleBlock Theater'
See Jane Style:
Do IT this week: Layering
The key to prevention is a smart lifestyle
Published on Monday, Dec 17, 2007
Diabetes is one of those diseases closely associated with obesity. It is no accident the rate of diabetes (and other chronic ailments such as hypertension and heart disease) tracks with the obesity crisis. More than 620,000 Ohioans have a diabetes diagnosis. Since 2000, the incidence of the disease has shot up 29.5 percent in Summit County and an alarming 58.6 percent in Mahoning County.
As the fifth-leading cause of death in the state, diabetes exacts a heavy toll on health and finances, both personal and public. Roughly 8 percent ($612 million) of the state's total Medicaid spending in 2000 went to patients with diabetes and related complications, a group accounting for less than 3 percent of the Medicaid population, according to an Ohio Department of Health report.
Because of the combination of poor eating habits, lack of exercise and better health care, more Americans are living with (and suffering) one or more chronic diseases. Treating these ailments is not inexpensive. The Partnership to Fight Chronic Disease, a national health-care advocacy group that recently launched an Ohio chapter, reports that 75 percent of the $2 trillion spent on health care in America in 2005 went toward treating chronic disease.
That is a compelling argument for a comprehensive strategy to prevent or delay the onset of disease. The Catalyst to Better Diabetes Care Act, legislation proposed last week by Sen. Sherrod Brown, is a promising initiative, with its call for a national plan to improve screening, outreach programs, diabetes education and data collection. In many cases, chronic disease is preventable if we act smartly.
Get the full article here.
