The ugly truth about the correlation of race, income and diabetes in U.S. communities

The rapid increase of the number of people with diabetes in the United States is alarming. About 30 million Americans are now confirmed with the disease; of that number, about 95 percent have type 2 diabetes. In the last six years, diabetes is cited as among the top 10 causes of death in the country.

Type 2 diabetes is food-related. It is generally caused by diets that are high in sugar, sodium and fat. Fruits, vegetables and whole grains lower the risk of type 2 diabetes, but these proper, nutritious foods are not always accessible for all due to proximity and affordability. Individuals and families from certain American communities are said to be more susceptible to type 2 diabetes.

Staggering reports show that low income, African Americans, Latinos and Native Americans are twice as likely to be diabetic than the affluent, whites. Other factors contribute to this disparity, particularly barriers to proper health care, which essentially gets the members of these communities diagnosed and treated.

This study conducted by the Union of Concerned Scientists shows the correlation between diabetes, and race and income. It essentially centers on the physical accessibility to healthy foods. The researchers used public data on food access, demographics and ultimately, health outcomes.

The study conclusively reports that diabetes and food access are directly correlated. Counties with populations consisting of lower income people of color are more at risk of the disease than higher income communities.

Find some helpful information on ways you can reduce your risk of diabetes here.

FoodFacts.com founder, Stanley Rak, started The Rak Foundation for Nutritional Awareness to bring attention to issues just like this that are impacting low-income communities. See how you can help here.