Posted: | September 28, 2016 10:43 AM |
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From: | Representative Donna Oberlander |
To: | All House members |
Subject: | Recognizing November 14, 2016, as "World Diabetes Day" |
In the near future, I plan to introduce a resolution to recognize November 14, 2016, as “World Diabetes Day” in Pennsylvania. “World Diabetes Day” was first introduced by the International Diabetes Federation and the World Health Organization in 1991, to raise awareness of the escalating incidence of diabetes worldwide. In 2007, World Diabetes Day became an official United Nations (UN) World Health Day after the UN General Assembly passed Resolution 61/225 in December 2006, recognizing diabetes as a chronic, debilitating disease. Sadly, diabetes is the seventh leading cause of death in Pennsylvania. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that diabetes affects nearly 900,000 adults age 18 and older in Pennsylvania, which equates to about 9% of the population. There are several risk factors of diabetes including genetics, high blood pressure, low HDL cholesterol or high triglycerides, gestational diabetes during pregnancy, being over age 45, being a member of a high-risk ethnic group, as well as being overweight and having an inactive lifestyle. Although there is no cure for diabetes, the risk can be dramatically reduced with healthy eating, physical activity, and the use of medication. I hope you will join me in co-sponsoring this resolution in an effort to raise awareness of diabetes, a disease that adversely impacts many citizens of our Commonwealth. |
Introduced as HR1072