[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 135 (Saturday, November 20, 2004)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2094]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               HONORING NATIONAL DIABETES AWARENESS MONTH

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                            HON. CURT WELDON

                            of pennsylvania

                    in the house of representatives

                       Friday, November 19, 2004

  Mr. WELDON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, November is National 
Diabetes Awareness Month. During this month, fifty-nine state and 
territorial diabetes-control programs, other partners, and the Center 
for Disease Control (CDC) are highlighting their efforts to battle this 
wide spread disease.
  Throughout November, these organizations will bring a special focus 
on: (1) diabetes prevention, (2) pneumonia and pneumococcal 
vaccinations, and (3) the unique problems endured by women with 
diabetes.
  Currently, an estimated 17 million of our fellow citizens suffer with 
diabetes and the disease is becoming ever more common in our country. 
From 1980 through 2002, the number of Americans with diabetes more than 
doubled. Many of its victims are our most vulnerable--people aged 65 
years or older--who account for almost 40 percent of the diabetes 
population.
  Medical research has proven that certain types of diabetes can be 
delayed or prevented by keeping blood glucose at healthy levels through 
eating right and staying active. Nevertheless, many of the most 
susceptible to diabetes remain unaware of these simple prevention 
methods.
  For women, diabetes poses a particularly serious health conditions 
during all their life stages. It is most troublesome that diabetes can 
affect the health of pregnant women and her unborn children. 
Additionally, with the increasing life span of women and the rapid 
growth of minority populations in the United States, the number of 
women at high risk for diabetes and its complications continues to 
increase. This will place added demands on the health care delivery 
system.
  Mr. Speaker, diabetes is a serious disease that affects millions of 
our citizens. In many instances it is preventable--and we hope, 
ultimately, curable. Diabetes deserves our attention at all times of 
year, but during this month of November, it deserves our special focus. 
I encourage members to join the Diabetes Caucus which helps educate and 
promote current diabetes programs.

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