12% of Mississippians Battling Diabetes

We certainly aren't getting any healthier: Diabetes rates have soared across the United States since 1995, up 50% in 42 states and more than doubling in 18, reports the AFP. In 1995, only three states had a diabetes rate of 6%, but by 2010 all 50 states topped that rate, for a national average of 7%, according to a new report issued yesterday by the CDC. The two unluckiest states: Mississippi, which claims not just the most obese crown but the most diabetic one as well, with 12% of residents saying they have diabetes; and Oklahoma, whose 226% jump in cases from 1995 to 2010 was the country's biggest and pushed its diabetes rate to about 10%, reports the AP.

"Regionally, we saw the largest increase in diagnosed diabetes prevalence in the South, followed by the West, Midwest, and Northeast," said the lead author. To wit, the other states that saw the highest rise were Kentucky, up 158% to 9%; Georgia, up 145% to 10%; and Alabama, up 140% to 11%. "These rates will continue to increase until effective interventions and policies are implemented to prevent both diabetes and obesity," the study's author added. Type 2 diabetes, which is closely linked with obesity, accounts for between 90% and 95% of all cases. (More diabetes stories.)