Senate Resolution No. 47

Introduced by Senator Hall

August 27, 2015

Senate Resolution No. 47—Relative to Diabetes Awareness Month.

WHEREAS, With more than 30 million Americans living with
a diabetes diagnosis, and many more going undiagnosed, diabetes
affects people across our country and remains a pressing national
health concern; and

WHEREAS, The federal Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention has reported that 1.7 million people are newly diagnosed
with diabetes each year; and

WHEREAS, Nearly 4 million Californians have diabetes,
meaning that more than one in 12 adult Californians has diabetes;
and

WHEREAS, From 1998 to 2007, the prevalence of diagnosed
diabetes rose from 5.5 percent to 7.6 percent, representing a 38
percent increase over one decade; and

WHEREAS, California has the greatest number of people in the
United States who are newly diagnosed with diabetes; and

WHEREAS, Eleven million four hundred thousand-- 29 percent
or nearly one in three-- adults in California has prediabetes, a
condition that often precedes type II diabetes; and

WHEREAS, Prevalence of gestational diabetes that occurs in
the context of pregnancy has increased 60 percent in California in
just seven years, from 3.3 percent of hospital deliveries in 1998
to 5.3 percent in 2005; and

WHEREAS, Small studies suggest a consistent increase in
diabetes among children and youth; and

WHEREAS, California's ethnically diverse population has a
higher risk and prevalence of type II diabetes;

WHEREAS, Individuals with type II diabetes often do not
exhibit symptoms; and

WHEREAS, Diabetes is a chronic disease for which there is no
known cure and is the sixth leading cause of death in the United
States; and

WHEREAS, The serious long-term complications of high blood
sugar levels may include blindness, lower extremity amputation,
heart disease, kidney failure, and premature death; and

WHEREAS, The keys to reducing the incidence of, and
complications associated with, diabetes are education, early
detection, control, and proper treatment; and

WHEREAS, The earlier a person is diagnosed with diabetes
and receives treatment, the better the person's chances are for
avoiding diabetes complications; and

WHEREAS, The first line of treatment recommended by all
standards is diet and exercise because a healthy diet and the loss
of excess weight can have a positive effect on the body's ability
to fight off disease; and

WHEREAS, It has been shown that modest weight loss may
help to lower blood sugar and blood pressure, improve the level
of fats in the bloodstream, and may be beneficial to the treatment
of diabetes and other metabolic diseases; and

WHEREAS, Traditionally, those at highest risk for diabetes
included older, overweight citizens with a family history of
diabetes. However, in recent years, there has been an alarming
increase in the growing number of younger individuals who are
being diagnosed with diabetes, which is attributed to lifestyle and
excessive body mass; and

WHEREAS, Total health care and related costs for the treatment
of diabetes in California alone is about 27.5 billion dollars each
year; and

WHEREAS, Diabetes in California represents a significant and
growing economic drain for families, employers, and communities,
especially during these difficult economic times; and

WHEREAS, Per capita, California spends less than any other
state on diabetes prevention programs. Using only federal grants,
California spent only three cents per person on diabetes prevention
in the 2012-2013 fiscal year; and

WHEREAS, President Barack Obama has proclaimed November
2015 as National Diabetes Month; now, therefore, be it

Resolved by the Senate of the State of California, That the Senate
declares November 2015 as Diabetes Awareness Month; and be
it further

Resolved, That individuals are encouraged to seek early
screening and early treatment to reduce the rate of diabetes and its
complications among high-risk populations; and be it further

Resolved, That health care workers are encouraged to improve
care for the control of diabetes and the treatment of major
complications; and be it further

Resolved, That health care providers are encouraged, as they
detect and treat the emerging diabetes epidemic, to engage in an
aggressive program with their patients that includes a treatment
regimen that meets and exceeds minimum treatment guidelines,
as well as measurements of body weight and other associated risk
factors; and be it further

Resolved, That the Secretary of the Senate transmit copies of
this resolution to the California Medical Association, the State
Department of Health Care Services, and to the author for
appropriate distribution.