Walk on the Wild Side!

This year the Colorado Springs Walk for Diabetes, called the Walk on the Wild Side!, will be held at the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo on Sat, May 6th at 9 am. Walk for Diabetes events held throughout the United States are the largest fund-raising events for the American Diabetes Association. Donations are used to fund research, advocacy, and programs and services for the more than 267,000 people in Colorado with diabetes.

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, one in three children born in 2000 could develop diabetes during their lifetime. With the rise of juvenile obesity, finding a cure for diabetes and educating young people about the consequences of obesity is even more important than ever.

ADA research shows that diabetes is the fifth-deadliest disease in the United States. Since 1987 the death rate due to diabetes has increased by 45%, while the death rates due to heart disease, stroke, and cancer have declined.

The cost of diabetes, which affects both employers and taxpayers, is significant. The total annual economic cost of diabetes in 2002 was estimated to be $132 billion. That includes $92 billion in direct medical costs and $40 billion for indirect costs attributed to disability, work loss, and premature mortality. One out of every 10 health care dollars is spent on diabetes and its complications.

I am attaching an article published by the New York Times entitled Diabetes and Its Awful Toll Quietly Emerge as a Crisis. This article describes the consequences of this emerging epidemic, euphemistically described as “getting the sugar” or having “the sweet blood.”

If you are interested in supporting research and advocacy programs, join theWalk on the Wild Side. Now is the time to form your team or sign up a friend to participate as an individual at www.walk.diabetes.org

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