Title
To declare that November is National Diabetes Month in Columbus.
Body
WHEREAS, diabetes is a chronic illness that can lead to serious complications, such as heart disease, stroke, kidney disease, blindness, and amputation; and
WHEREAS, nearly 26 million Americans have diabetes, and an estimated 79 million adults have pre-diabetes, a condition that places them at increased risk for developing type 2 diabetes and heart disease; and
WHEREAS, the Central Ohio Diabetes Association reports that in Central Ohio, more than 200,000 people have diabetes, there are 13,000 new cases every two years, half of all diabetics are undiagnosed, and one in ten people will develop diabetes in their lifetime, with the CDC projecting that number to rise to one in three in the next twenty years if changes aren't made; and
WHEREAS, diabetes affects people from all walks of life, and it takes a particular toll on poor and minority communities; for instance, Columbus Public Health's Office of Assessment & Surveillance reports that in Franklin County, African-Americans are 2.6 times more likely than whites to die of diabetes; and
WHEREAS, in association with National Diabetes Month, which builds awareness of a disease that affects millions of Americans and their loves ones, the National Institutes of Health urges people to take action and make simple but important lifestyle changes to achieve their health goals, whether they have diabetes or are at risk for the disease; now, therefore
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS:
That this Council declares November to be National Diabetes Month in Columbus and expresses its support for the millions of Americans and more than 200,000 Central Ohioans who are living with diabetes.