Forecasting a diabetes pandemic
A statement from the White House claims that 1/3 of recent Americans will get diabetes due to the previously unknown “national security” threat of being overweight:
One third of all children born in 2000 or later will suffer from diabetes at some point in their lives; many others will face chronic obesity-related health problems like heart disease, high blood pressure, cancer, and asthma. A recent study put the health care costs of obesity-related diseases at $147 billion per year. This epidemic also impacts the nation’s security, as obesity is now one of the most common disqualifiers for military service.
“The physical and emotional health of an entire generation and the economic health and security of our nation is at stake,” said Mrs. Obama. “This isn’t the kind of problem that can be solved overnight, but with everyone working together, it can be solved. So, let’s move.”
Three points: (a) the statement that “One third of all children born in 2000 or later will suffer from diabetes” seems a little odd given that the actual incidence of diabetes in America is that only 7.8% of citizens have the affliction, not one third, as Michelle Obama asserted; (b) diabetes does not afflict children at all: less than 1% (0.22%) of persons under 20 years old have diabetes; and (c) the idea that fat kids threaten “national security” is absurd on its face. Can’t this team get better writers so they don’t say such absurd things?
February 12th, 2010 at 7:39 am
The comments provided by the blog writer aren’t really all that accurate at minimize a situation that falls on the entire nation in many hidden ways. Also, the 1/3 figure noted in Mrs. Obama’s statement is for children of this century, not the entire population.
In addition, the use of figures cited from the American Diabetes Association are tilted towards the premise that diabetes ‘ain’t that big a thing’ by the writer, proofed by the point that the 57 million people estimated to be pre-diabetic figure in the same article cited was ignored. When statistics were being cherry-picked, the complete picture can not be seen.
In the end, I have to disagree with Dinocrat’s writer about how this doesn’t have a potential impact on the country. I’m concerned about the effect of diabetes on the entire country. The hidden costs of fat, flaccid, depressed, short lived people that require more and more medical intervention is a drain on the economy (and in the end, yes, national security) and contribute to the lack of competitiveness and success of the good ol’ US of A
February 13th, 2010 at 6:18 am
Obama likes to use children to promote his messages. He likes straw men and straw children.
With the weaker economy, maybe more kids will get jobs instead of just hanging out at the mall, or in their room on the internet, or playing computer games.
February 16th, 2010 at 9:11 am
How many of the people studied voted Democrat?
Is it possible they could have gotten diabetes from voting for such a sweet guy? Shouldn’t Obama refrain from using a teleprompter as it is raising the blood pressure of many Grade (Sicks) students?