ACR 172, Beth Gaines. Diabetes Awareness Month.
This measure would declare November 2014 as Diabetes Awareness Month.
WHEREAS, With more than 25 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, Nearly 3 million Californians have diabetes, meaning that more than 1 out of 10 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 in one decade; and
WHEREAS, California has the greatest number of people in the United States who are newly diagnosed with diabetes; and
WHEREAS, In 2007, about 7.9 million or 29 percent of adults in California, or nearly one in three, had prediabetes, a condition that often precedes type II diabetes; and
WHEREAS, Prevalence of gestational diabetes, 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; and
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 treatment standards is diet and exercise, because a healthy diet and the loss of excess weight can have a positive impact 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, blood pressure, and 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 who had a history of diabetes in their families. 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 $24.5 billion 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, President Barack Obama has proclaimed November 2013 as National Diabetes Month; now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the Senate of the State of California, the Assembly thereof concurring, That the Legislature declares November 2014 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 distribution.
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