Arkansas Diabetes Association, Arkansas. Minority Health Commission and University diabetes education has a positive impact on. the health of Medicaid …
A publication by the Women, Infants Children WIC Program Chester County, Pennsylvania
Commissioners: Carol Aichele, Andrew E Dinniman, and Donald A Mancini
610 344-6240
Good Nutrition Today For A Healthier Tomorrow May 2006
Type 2 diabetes: An Increasing Diagnosis
Type 2 diabetes, formerly called adult-onset or Non-Insulin Dependant Diabetes Mellitus NIDDM is rapidly on the rise in America While it is estimated about 21 million Americans have diabetes, 90 to 95 of that number are suffering with type 2 And to paint an even darker picture, about 41 million of us are pre-diabetic, showing some signs of insulin resistance or impaired insulin secretion Type 2 diabetes is defined as a disease of high levels of blood glucose resulting from defects in insulin action or production, or both Pre-diabetes is a condition in which blood glucose levels are higher than normal but are not sufficiently high for a diagnosis of diabetes While many pre-diabetics dont know they have the condition, they are at much greater risk to develop type 2 diabetes, and could improve their health with modest weight loss, increased physical activity, and diet changes Pre-determined risk factors for type 2
diabetes
include older age, a family history of diabetes, a history of gestational diabetes, and race/ethnicity The additional
factors of obesity, physical inactivity, and to a degree impaired glucose metabolism, could be related to lifestyle choices and considered preventable African-Americans, Hispanics, American Indians, and Asian or Pacific Islanders are at greater risk than others While the socio-economic status of these populations may play a part in their increased risk, it is also believed that genetics may be a factor as well Once viewed as a disease only for older adults, the rate of increase for type 2 diabetes among children and teens is alarming According to statistics of the National Institutes of Health the percentage of children with newly diagnosed diabetes who are classified as having type 2 has risen from less than 5 before 1994 to 30-50 in subsequent years Children most likely to develop type 2 diabetes are between 10 and 19 years old and share the risk factors of obesity, family history of diabetes, and/or birth to a mom who had gestational
diabetes Many children show no signs of the disease but are diagnosed after examination for another health issue Girls
are affected more frequently than boys
Continued
they cash their WIC vouchers Presently, participants mus 
t choose only one authorized WIC vendor to use when they go shopping for healthy WIC foods The grocery stores in Pennsylvania that have been authorized to accept PA WIC vouchers will display a bright red sign on their entry doors This tells WIC participants that store will honor their vouchers Grocers who wish to participate in WIC must follow guidelines provided to them by the PA State WIC Program and agree to train their employees about WIC foods WIC vouchers give moms and
A survey of Chester County residents in 2004 showed a total of 1,221 persons said they had diabetes, but 468 of them were under the age of 44, and 115 of them were under the age of 29 As a response to the rapid rise of type 2 diabetes in our community, what can we do as health professionals and social service agencies to prevent diabetes? Address the issues of obesity, lack of physical activity, poor nutritional choices; Increase awareness of risk factors; Educate about prevention; Encourage small changes as a beginning to improve lifestyles; Reward healthy choices
Check out the latest WIC facts
A
choice of grocery stores
Beginning on July 1, 2006, WIC participants will be able to choose the grocery store where
children specific amounts of milk, cheese, eggs, 100 juice, healthy cereals, dried beans or peanut butter Infants who are not breastfed are provided with infant formula; all babies receive infant juice and cereal when appropriate The value of WIC food vouchers cashed at Chester County grocery stores in 2005 was over 2,700,00000
Income guidelines go up
The income guidelines to participate in the WIC Program change each May according to the Federal Poverty Level WIC has very generous guidelines for a federal government program, allowing WIC participants to be at or below 185 of the Federal Poverty Level for gross household income Pregnant or post-partum
WIC is an equal opportunity employer and provider
women, infants, or children to the age of five who are covered by Medical Assistance, TANF, or Food Stamps are income-eligible for WIC Foster children are also eligible To determine the number of household members, WIC counts the unborn infant if mom is expecting Check the guidelines below to see if some of the families you serve might now qualify for WIC benefits
Gross Household Income Family Size 2 3 4 Weekly Annual 470 24,420 591 30,710 712 37,000 121 6,290
Each additional family member add:
Source:renalnutrition.org
