Wednesday, June 25, 2008

Where has all the sugar gone?

there is a problem with americans being too fat and diabetic. of course we know we're fat....we're fat, not stupid.

today in the new york times, they are reporting an increase in the number of americans with type II diabetes. and everybody seems to have forgotten the baby boom.

that's right.....the baby boom! i know, because i'm one of the last of the baby boomers, born in 1963. what i'm saying is, they need to temper their statistics according to all the baby boomers reaching those ripe old ages where the onset of type II diabetes becomes a real threat. everybody seems to forget the boom factor.

they mention that it's only type II diabetes almost as if it's an afterthought. but that tends to hit people when they're....what? in their sixties? so we have this major portion of the population reaching their retirement years, and then are surprised by an increase in elderly afflictions?

a 15% rise in 2 years sounds about right, and not like it's a 200% or 300% increase. that's when the bells and whistles should be going off. in fact, 15%, in proportion to overall population, might actually be a DECREASE in diabetic rates.

plus how can you call diabetes an epidemic? is it communicable? when was the last time somebody sneezed on you and gave you diabetes?

something else hit me as funny today, and that was how Obama is giving away refrigerator magnets (calling them "car magnets," but everyone knows magnets go on the refrigerator) to anyone who gives $15 or more to his campaign. sounds too much like PBS.....yep...yep...yep....

but since everybody has decided that americans are too fat and giant ticking time bombs for diabetes, maybe he should be busy trying to rope in the masses with what's IN the refrigerator instead....

even i might chip in a few dollars if i could get some twinkies out of it....mmmmmmmm.......twinkies........



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this is an addendum to my original blog. thought i would throw out some numbers, to show what i'm talking about....

"147 percent - The projected percentage that the 65+ senior population will increase between 2000 and 2050.

The U.S. population as a whole is expected to increase by only 49 percent during same period." ~seniorliving.about.com


"As the oldest baby boomers become senior citizens in 2011, the population 65 and older is projected to grow faster than the total population in every state. In fact, 26 states are projected to double their 65- and-older population between 2000 and 2030." ~seniorjournal.com


the first of the baby boomers are hitting 65 years old in 2011....that means that they hit 60 five years before that, or 2006. coincidentally, that marks the 2 year framework that they have noted increases in diabetic rates.

the senior population growth rate between now and 2050 looks to be approximately three times that of the general population. with type II diabetes generally being a senior affliction, we can logically look for as much as 300% increase in diabetic rates between now and 2050. or, more accurately, if seniors make up about 80% of type II diabetic cases, then we can expect the numbers of those with diabetes to increase 240% by 2050.

also, the rate of discovery of diabetes has increased.....from only 70% of the cases being discovered, to 76% from 2005 to 2007. that means that a good part of the increase is because more people are being diagnosed. ten years ago, only 50% of the diabetic population was actually diagnosed.

to conclude.....there is NO real increase in the rate or prevalence of type II diabetes.

it's a real bitch trying to find the numbers of actual diabetic cases 2 years ago. but if it's up 15% to 24 million, that means the number 2 years ago was around 21 million. 2 years ago the US population was 299,398,484, today it is 304,434,455. that makes today's rate around 7.8 percent, and two years ago around 7 percent.

so the number of americans with diabetes is actually up less than 1 percent. throw in the fact that more diabetic cases are being diagnosed, and the baby boomers hitting their senior years....well, looks to me like rather than increasing to "epidemic" proportions, diabetes might be on the decline.

if i could get the numbers for the increase in the senior population (which our last census was in 2000) and the percentage of type II diabetes that they make up, (knowing 25% percent of seniors have type II diabetes is of no help, need to know what percentage of those with diabetes are seniors) then i could prove that rates for the prevalence of diabetes is actually down in other age groups....

but since i'm not getting paid for any of this research....i welcome anyone else to have a go at it, but time for me to go have a smoke and blow it all to the summer breeze.....










LEAVE A COMMENT

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Well,that's too true that there is probably going to be a big big big increase in stuff as the boomers get older....15% is pretty small...I suspect it could further increase!Especially since we've all learned to think rather fondly of twinkies and other such goodness...you only live once after all!

bring it on with brinker said...

yea....one of the things that's probably going to kill off the social security system too...

and it's not improbable that diabetes rates would get higher with how much sugar is now in the american diet, but if there are REAL numbers, they should show them. saying the american public is now 8 percent diabetic doesn't tell me SQUAT. for all we know, the american public has been 8 percent diabetic since 1902....and 25% of seniors being diabetic might be a decrease from 33% in 1945....

just saying.....something stinks....and a 15% increase in just the number of diabetics is easily attributable to the baby boomers....

oh well.....am running off a bit of adrenilin because some nit wit tried to climb on jazz kitty's steps i built and broke it all to hell. got it put back together, but the L bracket i had on it was torn off BOTH boards, which means it might have been maliciously destroyed and not just some kid trying to climb up to the balcony...

Anonymous said...

I think Australia has just passed the US in terms of obesity and there is rising diabetes here as well.

bring it on with brinker said...

that's the thing, though....i don't think there really IS rising diabetes numbers.....i mean yea, the number of cases is up, but so is the senior population. plus the article says we are now at 8 percent of americans being diabetic, but conveniently doesn't mention what percentage have been diabetic in the past....you look at what they DON'T say, sweetheart.

they didn't say that two years ago, 5 percent of the population was diabetic, and now it's 8 percent. they just said the actual number of diabetics is up (which SO is general population) and that it's now 8 percent. no mention of what the past percentage was....in fact, they even leave out the actual number of cases there used to be, and just say that the number is up now to 24 million.

that's to keep people from doing the math, and figuring out that the ratio when compared to population of the time, was actually more than it is now.

i might take a stab at real investigative journalism, and look up the actual numbers to prove what i'm talking about. bet dollars to donuts i'm right though, and that there is NO true increase in the rate of diabetes....

how's that for a long-ass comment back? hehehe

Anonymous said...

Yes, that was a long assed comment back. hehehe

*big smiles*

Have a good weekend