Georgia County Government - March 2008 - (Page 32)

While heart disease remains the highest cause of death in Georgians, diabetes is growing rapidly. EXTENSION continued from page 31 “These factors prevented many of our seniors from getting the proper nutrition and health information,” said Extension FACS agent Laura Smith. In response, Smith teaches at senior citizens centers on topics ranging from osteoporosis to heat stress survival, managing medications and healthy snack ideas. “To date, well over 100 senior citizens have been served,” she said. More than 90 percent of them say they are now more aware of the issues they face. While heart disease remains the highest cause of death in Georgians, diabetes is growing rapidly. The CDC attributes the increase to a combination of poor nutrition and lack of exercise. Approx i mately 608,0 0 0 adu lts in Georgia were diagnosed with diabetes in 2006. For every two Georgians diagnosed w it h diabetes, a not her has not yet been diagnosed. Diabetes is the seventh leading cause of death in Georgia – equivalent to five deaths a day. For each death attributed to diabetes, at least two more have diabetes as a contributing factor. “Georgians have to get up and get moving,” Crawley said. “Only 42 percent of adults in Georgia exercise regularly. Yet, we know inactivity is a major contributor to the development of Ty pe 2 diabetes.” Inactiv it y is expensive, too. The latest economic figures from the CDC show that in Georgia, medical expenditures for t he tota l population attributed to overweight and obesity is $2.1 billion per year. Obese people have a 50 percent to 100 percent increase in risk for all causes of death. The Georgia Department of Human Resources reports men and younger adults are more likely to be active than women and older adults. Inactivity contributed to 3,581 deaths, 21,538 hospitalizations and $542 million in hospital charges in 2003. “The problem starts young,” Crawley said. “Georgia Extension Programs Benefit Seniors Working as an Extension agent in Morgan County in 1999, and for three years beyond that, our offices were located in the same building as the Morgan County Senior Center. On the other side of the door of our conference room was a long hallway that led to the activity room for the Senior Center. More days than not, there would swell of wave of noise, activity and laughter from down that hallway. An inquisitive person by nature, I had to check it out. As I entered the room, there sat an Extension Family and Consumer Sciences agent, leading an enthusiastic group of seniors in “armchair aerobics.” This was not merely an excuse for exercise; it was actually some fairly rigorous and demanding physical activity for folks who saw the benefit of such. These were people who had been exposed to the benefits of physical activity but who may not necessarily have had the opportunity to engage in that activity in an at-home setting. Further inquiry has led me to understand that the Extension programming available for seniors doesn’t stop at armchair aerobics. In Morgan County and in counties all across the state, seniors have opportunities to participate in classes on weight management, diabetes management, and a range of other topics appropriate for their situations. Moreover, these classes are not something they are required to do – they participate because they truly enjoy it and benefit. The University of Georgia Cooperative Extension has had a rich history of bringing knowledge to people all across Georgia in ways that make real learning an enjoyable experience. – Jeff Christie, Staff Liaison, UGA Cooperative Extension has an astounding number of children that are obese and overweight.” The CDC says more than 46,000 Georgia high school students and 51,000 middle school students are obese. Only two in three middle and high school students in Georgia are vigorously active. Only one in five high school students eat five or more servings of fruits and vegetables daily. W hen obesit y is coupled w it h compl icat ions f rom d iabetes, t he price grows. In 2005, diabetes cost approximately $250 million in hospital charges in Georgia. “If all medical costs and costs attributed to premature death and lost job productivity in Georg ia were added toget her, t he actual economic impact of diabetes wou ld be closer to $4 bi l lion per year,” Crawley said. Diabetes is the leading cause of blindness, kidney disease, non-traumatic amputations and retinopathy in the United States. According to the American Diabetes Association, the per capita medical cost for diabetes has increased 30 percent from an average of $10,071 in 1997 to $13,200 in 2002. Despite t he grim statistics, t he situation isn’t hopeless. UGA Extension programs are proving that educating the public can cause immediate results. In 2006, UGA Extension provided more than 46,500 hours of nutrition and chronic disease educational programs to 25,727 Georgians. Nearly 67 percent of the participants were low-income Georgians. Participant feedback proves UGA Ex tension progra ms in t his area work. Surveys show 58 percent of participants attending the weight control program called Walk-a-Weigh improved their knowledge of nutrition 2008 ACCG Annual Meeting Make Your Plans Now to Attend! April 26-29 Savannah Civic Center Savannah, GA Visit www.accg.org for more information 32 GEORGIA COUNTY GOVERNMENT http://www.accg.org

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Georgia County Government - March 2008

Georgia County Government - March 2008 Contents President's Message County Matters Guest Editorial: Our Future Depends On Statesmanship Bryan County in Step With State Coastal Plan Solid Waste Management in Georgia Hazardous Waste Management in Georgia Extension News: Georgians Growing Older, Fatter County Parade Index of Advertisers

Georgia County Government - March 2008

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