Nov. 27, 2009 -- If nothing is done, the number of Americans with diabetes will nearly double in the next 25 years and spending on the disease will nearly triple, a new study shows.

An aging population combined with a dramatic rise in obesity has created a perfect storm for diabetes in the U.S., researchers say.

"A perfect storm is a good way to look at it," study researcher Elbert S. Huang, MD of the University of Chicago tells WebMD. "If things stay the way they are right now we will have massive increases in diabetes incidence in this country over the next two decades."

By 2034, as many as 44 million Americans will have diabetes, up from 23 million today, according to the new projections, published in the November issue of the American Diabetes Association journal Diabetes Care.

The cost of caring for diabetes patients is projected to rise from $113 billion to $336 annually, and that is before adjusting for inflation.

These costs will outpace the increase in cases because more diabetes patients will be older and sicker and will require more expensive medical care, experts say.

Trouble for Medicare

Age is one of the biggest risk factors for type 2 diabetes, and the transition of baby boomers from middle to old age will drive much of the increase, the study shows.

As a result, by 2034, half of all direct spending in diabetes care is projected to occur in the Medicare population.

About 8 million Americans covered by Medicare now have diabetes and it cost $45 billion to treat them in 2009.

The number of diabetes patients whose treatment is paid for by Medicare is projected to nearly double to 14.6 million in the next 25 years, and the cost of caring for them is expected to quadruple.

By 2034, annual Medicare spending on diabetes care is projected to rise to $171 billion.

Although little can be done about the aging of the population, much can be done about the other major risk factor for type 2 diabetes -- obesity.

About 65% of Americans are overweight, and about one-third are obese, the CDC says.

The obesity rate among adults in the U.S. doubled between 1980 and 2004, but it appears to have leveled off since then.

The new diabetes model developed by the Huang and colleagues predicts a slight decline in obesity rates in the U.S. over the next two decades.

Target Obesity, Change the Future

All agree that a bigger decline in obesity, achieved though successful public health initiatives, could make a huge difference.

The future projected in the newly published study does not have to become reality, experts say.

"The cost of doing nothing is clearly going to be quite high," study co-researcher Michael O'Grady, PhD, said in a news conference. "To do nothing right now is going to cost billions and billions of dollars."

American Diabetes Association chief scientific and medical officer David M. Kendall, MD says it is now clear that even modest lifestyle changes, such as losing a few pounds or taking a walk most days a week, can drastically reduce a person's risk for developing diabetes.

The Diabetes Prevention Program was one of the largest studies ever to examine the impact of diet, exercise, and drug treatments on diabetes rates in patients at high risk for developing the disease.

The study found that these people cut their diabetes risk dramatically by losing just 7% of their body weight and engaging in moderate exercise for at least 30 minutes, a minimum of five times a week.

Early treatment with the diabetes drug metformin also helped delay or prevent diabetes, but to a lesser extent.

"Even modest weight loss and as little as 30 minutes of exercise five or more days a week and inexpensive treatments can keep people healthy," he tells WebMD. "That is really the big message."

SOURCES:
http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=108138#

 

• One-third of the workforce shows signs of clinical depression.
• Twenty-seven percent of employees experienced sleep problems that affect their job performance in the last month at least sometimes.
• One-third of employees today say their overall health is "excellent"-a significant decline of six percent since 2002.
• More than one in five employees is currently receiving treatment for high blood pressure; 14 percent are being treated for high cholesterol.
• The majority of employees do not exercise on a regular basis.
• Nearly 62 percent of employed individuals are overweight or obese.
• Around 41 percent of employees report feeling stressed sometimes, often or very often.
• One-third of employees report that their work has a primarily negative impact on their lives off the job by draining energy, so they don't have enough left for their personal life or family

1. People completely underestimate the worth of wellness.
2. Businesses still don't accept the importance of this factor on their bottom lines. 

While exercise is critical in all of this, so is health insurance, paid vacation time and sick days. Some clarity on the work/life divide: The FWI researchers found that benefits experienced on the homefront actually make their way back to the office. The study states that employees' personal or family life is more likely to have a positive impact on the level of energy they bring to their work than the other way around. 

Generally, employees in better physical and mental health, with lower frequency of sleep problems and lower levels of stress whose jobs have a positive impact on their energy at home are more likely to be engaged, satisfied, and plan to remain with their employers. 

Cali Yost, author of the Fast Company article, makes a great suggestion for what you, as an employee, can do: Start making small, simple changes to improve your health. She calls it "One Small Thing". 

The FWI's bottom line: "Employees' physical and mental health, stress levels, sleep quality, and energy levels all significantly impact important work outcomes of interest to employers, such as engagement, turnover intent and job satisfaction."  

Meaning, a fit workforce will translate into a more fiscally sound America. Hopefully, these findings will help push more employers to place a greater importance on exercise and nutrition in their workplace. It's a low-cost investment that could pay huge dividends on so many levels.   

Source:  http://www.coreperformance.com/daily/live-better/get-fit-now-your-life-and-job-depends-on-it.html