Austin Scott: “Thank you very much. Ladies and gentlemen of the House, with nearly 23 million children and adults in the United States…”

“Thank you very much. Ladies and gentlemen of the House, with nearly 23 million children and adults in the United States living with this disease, it is, indeed, time to reassess our own fitness and nutrition choices, to educate ourselves on the risk factors, and to then encourage everyone, especially our loved ones, to get tested. In my home State of Georgia, approximately 700,000 children and adults, or 7.8 percent of Georgia's entire population, have been diagnosed with diabetes. Raising awareness about the devastating effects that diabetes can have on people and their families must not go overlooked. Many people do not realize that diabetes is the leading cause of blindness among adults between the ages of 20 and 74 years old. It also contributes to serious health problems such as heart disease, stroke, and kidney failure. Nationwide, 23.6 million people, or 7.8 percent of the Nation's entire population, have diabetes. Further, 17.9 million people have been diagnosed, 5.7 million are undiagnosed, at least 57 million people are prediabetic in this country, and 220 million people have diabetes worldwide. These are startling statistics, and the numbers continue to rise. Sadly, thousands more are at an increased risk of getting diabetes because of advancing age, obesity, sedentary lifestyles, unhealthy eating habits, and insufficient physical activity. Diabetes not only affects the health of our Nation but our economic well-being as well.”