The Merced County age-adjusted percentage of adults diagnosed with diabetes in 2008 was 7.8 percent, according to data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That figure rose from 6.3 percent in 2004.
Our neighboring county of Mariposa had a 7.1 percent in 2008, up from 6 percent in 2004.
The county in the state with the highest rate was Solano County—9.5 percent.
The rates are even higher in states such as Alabama, where Greene County and Lowndes County had a 15.7 percent. Also, in Mississippi the highest rate was a 15.1 percent in Jefferson County.
Most of the time diabetes stems from obesity, and obesity is a result of eating unhealthy food and lack of exercise.
Experts encourage people to exercise at least 30 minutes a day.
Get active and help reverse those rates in Merced County.
To search county by county in California or state by state, visit http://apps.nccd.cdc.gov/DDT_STRS2/NationalDiabetesPrevalenceEstimates.aspx?mode=OBS, and on the indicator box select diagnosed diabetes.
Yesenia Amaro
Health care reporter
