This Is How Much Diabetes Has Increased in Maine in a Decade

About one in 10 Americans, or 34.2 million people, live with diabetes, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data through 2018. And one in three people in the country — or 88 million adults — have prediabetes, which is higher than normal blood sugar level that can turn into diabetes if left untreated.

There are three types of diabetes: Type 1, Type 2, and gestational. People with Type 1 diabetes, comprising about 5%-10% of diabetes cases, make very little or no insulin — a hormone that helps regulate blood sugar levels in the body. People with Type 2 diabetes, comprising the majority of cases, may produce insulin but don’t use it well. The third type, gestational diabetes, develops in pregnant women and usually disappears after childbirth.

New cases of Type 2 diabetes have been skyrocketing among young people, and the overall rates of the chronic condition have been on the rise in every state over the last several years.

Maine is the state with the 12th smallest increase in diabetes diagnosed in people over 20 between 2008 and 2017. In 2008, 8.8% of adults had diabetes, the 18th highest prevalence rate of all states. In 2017, the share of adults 20 and over with diabetes rose to 10.4%, the 2fourth highest rate.

Several factors may increase the risk of Type 2 diabetes. The ones that cannot be controlled are age and family history. Those that can be controlled include a sedentary lifestyle and a healthy diet. Obesity is a leading risk factor for Type 2 diabetes.

Obesity and severe obesity trends have generally increased over the past decade. In Maine, specifically, the adult obesity rate in 2008 was 26.0%, the 20th lowest rate of all states. Almost a decade later, in 2017, 29.8% of adults in Maine were obese, the 23rd lowest rate.

To determine the states with the highest increase in people with diabetes in a decade, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed 2011 and 2021 diabetes data from County Health Rankings & Roadmaps, a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute joint program. The data released in the 2011 and 2021 reports are for years 2008 and 2017, respectively. This is how much diabetes has risen in every state in a decade.

StateDiabetes prevalence in 2008Diabetes prevalence in 2017Adult obesity rate in 2008Adult obesity rate in 2017Massachusetts8.4%8.7%22.9%25.0%Utah6.6%7.5%24.2%27.0%Idaho8.3%9.3%25.6%29.0%New Jersey8.9%9.9%24.0%27.0%Florida9.5%10.8%24.4%27.2%Maryland9.8%11.1%27.3%31.6%Connecticut7.7%9.2%22.3%26.3%California7.2%8.8%22.8%24.3%New Hampshire8.0%9.6%25.7%28.6%Maine8.8%10.4%26.0%29.8%Tennessee10.9%12.5%31.2%33.3%Louisiana11.4%13.0%31.5%36.3%Mississippi12.9%14.6%34.3%39.1%Montana7.2%8.9%23.3%27.1%Colorado4.8%6.6%18.7%22.4%Wyoming7.2%9.0%25.0%29.2%Washington7.5%9.3%26.6%28.6%North Dakota7.6%9.4%28.2%33.9%Arizona7.8%9.6%23.8%27.9%Oregon7.9%9.7%25.1%29.3%Michigan9.2%11.0%30.6%32.4%Vermont6.9%8.8%22.9%27.0%Alaska6.4%8.3%27.9%31.9%North Carolina9.5%11.5%28.7%32.3%South Carolina11.3%13.3%30.0%34.0%Wisconsin7.4%9.5%28.2%31.7%Rhode Island8.0%10.1%24.0%28.5%Kentucky10.6%12.7%31.2%34.6%New York7.9%10.1%24.5%26.4%Nevada8.1%10.5%25.4%27.1%Ohio9.8%12.2%29.5%33.5%Pennsylvania8.6%11.0%28.1%30.8%Delaware9.2%11.8%28.5%32.4%Indiana9.5%12.1%29.7%33.9%Alabama11.9%14.5%31.9%36.1%Oklahoma9.6%12.3%30.2%34.5%South Dakota7.4%10.1%28.6%32.4%West Virginia12.3%15.1%31.5%37.8%Minnesota5.7%8.5%26.2%29.0%Illinois7.1%9.9%26.3%29.7%New Mexico6.6%9.5%22.9%27.3%Kansas7.6%10.5%29.0%33.0%Virginia7.8%10.7%26.9%30.5%Hawaii8.2%11.1%21.2%24.6%Nebraska6.9%10.0%28.5%33.4%Iowa6.5%9.9%28.1%34.3%Missouri8.0%11.4%30.1%32.5%Arkansas10.0%13.5%30.3%35.0%Texas6.5%10.2%27.0%31.4%Georgia8.3%12.0%28.1%32.3%

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