It's Good to Be Beige

For all you map-o-philes, the Center for Disease Control has released an interesting new one: County Level Estimates of Diagnosed Diabetes. This is the first time they've been able to break the data out on a county-by-county level, versus a state level. Leaving aside the newly-revealed "Diabetes Belt" in the nation's southeast, the data on Washington State are enlightening. Those burgundy counties (i.e., more than 10% of the population diagnosed diabetic) are Grays Harbor and Adams. King County clocks in nicely beige, with fewer than 7% of the population diabetic. One thing to note: these figures are only for people 20 years or older, so the rising rates of childhood diabetes are not represented. They probably demonstrate strong correspondences to the adult rates, however. For more information, check the Scientific American run-down. I wonder how many of their identified risk factors play a role in Grays Harbor or Adams, not to mention those deeper orange counties: (1) high obesity rates; (2) sedentary lifestyles; (3) lower education levels; and, (4) higher percentage of non-Hispanic blacks. Because the researchers are government-funded, there is much mention of encouraging people to live an "active lifestyle" and to watch the the number of calories, but no mention of the where those calories should come from. Well, it's a start.

Speaking of where calories should come from, eating fish gets another endorsement, this one from Science Digest. If you happen to carry the "bad" APOE gene, one found in 15% of the general population and 50% of those suffering from Alzheimer's Disease, "a diet high in Omega 3 oils and low in cholesterol appears to significantly reduce the negative effects of the APOE4 gene in mouse models." Around our house we refer to fish as "brain food." If your supplies of Loki Salmon are running low, remember they can be found online and at local Thriftway markets, as well as the year-round Ballard, U District and West Seattle Farmers Markets. As for the BFM's tuna supplier, Fishing Vessel St. Jude, find their cans at Whole Foods.

And then, in a final note that completely undermines all that has come before, I'm thrilled to have spotted the Molly Moon truck around Bellevue. Look for it Wed-Fri and again on Sunday, from 5-10 p.m. at All The Best Pet Care, 1048 116th Avenue Northeast and check the Molly Moon blog for updates!