Author: Utah Department of Health and Human Services
Diabetes is a chronic disease that impacts how your body turns food into energy. In the last 20 years, the number of adults diagnosed with diabetes has more than doubled in the U.S. In 2022 alone, it was estimated that the cost of diagnosed diabetes was more than $412 billion. Medical costs for people with diabetes are more than twice as high as for people who don't have diabetes.
The map on the right uses colors from light blue to dark purple to show which counties have low to high rates of adults diagnosed with diabetes.
In Utah, more than 191,000 Utah adults have been diagnosed with diabetes and more than $1 billion each year is spent on direct and indirect medical costs.
The map on the right uses colors from light blue to dark purple to show which local health districts have low to high rates of adults diagnosed with diabetes.
There are three main types of diabetes–type 1, type 2, and gestational diabetes. Type 2 diabetes accounts for 95% of all diabetes cases and is preventable.
Certain risk factors increase a person’s likelihood of developing type 2 diabetes, including:
- Age
- Family history
- Lack of regular physical activity
- Overweight
- Previous gestational diabetes diagnosis
- Prediabetes diagnosis
The map on the right uses colors from light blue to dark purple to show which counties have low to high rates of adults who do not exercise or participate in physical activities.
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Lack of regular physical activity increases a person's risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
Prediabetes is a condition where a person’s blood sugar is elevated but not quite high enough to be considered type 2 diabetes. The risk factors for prediabetes and type 2 diabetes are the same. If a person has prediabetes they are at an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
Since 2014, Utah has invested in efforts to prevent type 2 diabetes. The Utah Department of Health received funding from the CDC to grow and support the National Diabetes Prevention Program (National DPP) throughout the state.
The National DPP is an evidence-based program that helps participants prevent or delay the onset of type 2 diabetes, by supporting participants in making modest lifestyle changes over the course of one year. In Utah, more than 9,000 adults have participated in the National DPP and 17 organizations offer the program to community members.
Over the course of a year, participants meet at least 22 times in a group and receive information from a trained lifestyle coach on how to prevent diabetes. Participants set goals to lose at least five percent of their body weight and to increase physical activity to at least 150 minutes of activity each week. Some of the topics covered include:
- How to get physically activity
- Healthy foods to enjoy
- Stress management
- Coping strategies
The National DPP teaches adults how to prevent diabetes while providing group support and lifestyle coaching.
The image above the physical locations of National DPP providers in Utah. The map also uses colors from light to dark, light indicating less diabetes prevalence and dark indicating more diabetes prevalence. To find a class near you, use this link: https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes-prevention/lifestyle-change-program/find-a-program.html
If you want to find out if you have prediabetes, complete this brief quiz: https://utahgov.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_1BxUAHdVBKi42Sa
The map on the right uses colors from dark to light blue and light to dark green to show which counties have low to high rates of adults diagnosed with diabetes.