Health officials say 25% of Nevada adults are obese and it's leading to an even bigger problem, diabetes.
I spoke with Dr. Kent Sasse, a local weight loss surgeon about that for this week's Face the State. He said there are 160,000 cases of diabetes in Nevada. There's an even higher number of cases of pre-diabetes, 450,000. It's also the number one cause of blindness, kidney failure and amputations here in Nevada.
"Of those, about 80% of them have the diabetes strictly attributable to their weight gain. It really comes from weight gain and aging. Those two together form a very potent, bad combination."
Dr. Sasse said the best way to find out if you are in the danger zone of getting diabetes is to go get a blood test.
He said if you don't have diabetes, there are ways to prevent it. He said control your weight, workout, preferably walking or running, 40 to 60 minutes a day.
Of course, dieting is huge. He said cut carbohydrates, eat fruits, vegetables, protein and lots of whole grains.
Other than impacting your health, diabetes will hit your in the pocket book as well. Dr. Sasse said one in every $10 spent on health care is linked to diabetes.
"You realize very quickly, we are all stakeholders in this problem. Whether businesses or taxpayers, we are all involved in this."
To see his entire interview, tune in to Face the State this weekend.
It airs Saturday at 4:30am and 3:30pm. The show also airs Sunday at 6:30am.
Written by Chris Ciarlo
