BRIDGEWATER, NJ – Diabetes is on track to become the greatest
public health crisis of the next quarter century and beyond. In
fact, as many as one in three American adults will have diabetes
by 2050 unless something is done to curb unhealthy lifestyle
trends in the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention warned last week. It is estimated that Americans
spent $174 billion in 2007 to treat diabetes. The report
predicts that the number of new diabetes cases each year will
increase from eight per 1,000 people in 2008 to 15 per 1,000
people in 2050. To combat the threat, the American Diabetes
Association (ADA), northern New Jersey office, in tandem with
Saint Peter’s Healthcare System in New Brunswick, N.J.,
announced today they have formed an alliance to address the
urgent need among the public for management and education
related to the care and prevention of diabetes. Dubbed
"Diabetes360Five," the year-round initiative is designed to aid
people who live in the region through programs and c