NEWS for North Dakotans
Agriculture Communication, North Dakota State University
7 Morrill Hall, Fargo, ND 58105-5665

March 11, 1999

Diabetes on the Rise; Program Challenges North Dakotans to Take 5 Plus 5

About every five hours someone in North Dakota develops diabetes, according to national rates published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta. The North Dakota Department of Health reports that, on average, one person with diabetes dies every nine hours, and diabetes is the underlying or contributing factor in about half of those deaths.

"Nationally, the number of people affected by diabetes has increased sixfold during the past four decades," says Darian Schaubert, diabetes control project coordinator with the state health department in Bismarck. "The number of people with diabetes is expected to double by the year 2020 if current population trends continue."

Fortunately, the most common form of diabetes is preventable and controllable in many cases. The treatment is diet and exercise, both of which are the focus of the 5 Plus 5 Challenge, a collaborative program of the state health department, the North Dakota State University Extension Service and other members of the Healthy Heart Council.

How can someone take the 5 Plus 5 Challenge? By eating five servings of fruits and vegetables a day plus getting 30 minutes of physical activity at least five days a week. That 30-minute total can come in 10-minute spurts and can include activities such as walking, riding bicycle, gardening, raking leaveseven washing windows or a car, says Julie Garden-Robinson, extension food and nutrition specialist at NDSU.

"Most of us aren't eating those recommended five daily servings of fruits and vegetables," Garden-Robinson stresses. "We're not meeting the physical activity recommendations either."

A survey conducted by the state health department revealed that only 18 percent of North Dakota's adults were eating five servings of fruits and vegetables a day. About 25 percent of adult women and about 10 percent of adult men were meeting this goal.

"A serving of fruit or vegetables is not as much as you might think," Garden-Robinson says. "For example, three-fourths of a cup of fruit or vegetable juice counts as a serving, as does a half cup of cooked vegetables."

The state's youth fared somewhat better when it came to eating fruits and vegetables. The health department report showed that 30 percent of students in grades 9 through 12 were meeting the five-a-day goal, as were 33 percent of North Dakota sixth graders.

The American Diabetes Association says children and young adults are the most likely candidates for contracting Type 1 diabetes, but 90 percent of all diabetics have Type 2 diabetes, a condition where their bodies don't make enough insulin or their bodies can't utilize the insulin that is available.

Diabetes-related health complications include kidney disease, blindness and amputations of lower extremities. About every nine days a person with diabetes in North Dakota develops kidney disease, Schaubert says.

The CDC estimates that about 30 percent of Americans with diabetes don't know they have the disease, the obvious symptoms of which include extreme thirst, frequent urination and unexplained weight loss.

Medical experts have yet to pinpoint the cause of Type 2 diabetes, but the disease does run in families. While a person can inherit a tendency to contract Type 2 diabetes, it usually takes another factor to produce the disease. Obesity is the primary cause.

"A healthy diet and physical activity are especially important for the management of diabetes," Garden-Robinson says. "A physician, registered dietitian or other qualified health professional can help diabetics set goals for both diet and activity."

Another fact uncovered by a state health department survey is that nearly 34 percent of North Dakota adults are physically inactivemeaning they engage in no activity other than that required by their jobs. Only 17 percent of the state's adults are involved in light or moderate activities outside of their workplace. Only 37 percent of students in grades 9 through 12 and 50 percent of North Dakota's sixth graders are meeting the physical activity recommendations.

"Physical activity and healthy eating are important for everyone, regardless of age," says Garden-Robinson. "Working toward the goals of the 5 Plus 5 Challenge can be a step toward better overall health."

For more information about taking the 5 Plus 5 Challenge, contact a county office of the NDSU Extension Service.

###

Source: Julie Garden-Robinson (701) 231-7187

Editor: Dean Hulse (701) 231-6136