By MIKE STOBBE
AP Medical Writer
NEW YORK (AP) - The
nation's diabetes problem is getting worse, and health officials say the
biggest changes have been in Oklahoma and a number of Southern states.
The diabetes rate in
Oklahoma more than tripled over 15 years, and also boomed in Southern
states like Kentucky, Georgia and Alabama.
Most cases are the kind of
diabetes linked to obesity. Health officials believe extra weight
explains the increases in the South and Southwest. They also say the
rates overall are up because people with diabetes are living longer.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued the state report Thursday.
The diabetes rate more than
doubled in several Northern states, too, including Washington, Idaho,
Montana, Wyoming, South Dakota, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio and Maine.
Online:
CDC report: http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr
Copyright
2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not
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