If you haven't been directly affected by diabetes mellitus, you probably know someone who is or has been affected by it. Furthermore, with the incidence of diabetes in the United States skyrocketing, your chances of getting the disease is higher than ever. Type 2 Diabetes, once referred to as "adult onset diabetes" because it usually afflicts adults, can no longer be called that because it is now being diagnosed in children as young as five years old. This is thought to be a result of increasing childhood obesity and sedentary lifestyle, both of which are associated with the convenience and the poor quality of fast food and its consumption.

Are YOU at risk?

Jokes about and symbols of our nation's obsession with fast food and sedentary lifestyle can be found in many places. These clips may be funny, but the truth behind them is anything but funny. Diabetes mellitus Type 2, which is more often a result of a poor diet and exercise, is costing our nation billions of dollars in health care a year. If left untreated, diabetes can lead its victims into a coma that can result in death.

Saturday Night Live skits--Phil Hartman playing a gluttonous former President Clinton in 1996--Perhaps you remember this skit from "olden days" of SNL. Is he a national symbol of an American fast food habit that is leading to increasing incidence of diabetes? The Simpson's portrayal of the lazy, fat American worker--Homer Simpson

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How do analysts find relationships between lifestyle trends and diseases, and how are they sure of them? Today, you will imagine that you are such an analyst (perhaps in the role of the surgeon general, a diabetes researcher, etc.), and you will research the numbers behind the facts!

First, find out some background on Diabetes mellitus by clicking on the links to the web pages below: Definitions of Helpful Diabetes/Statistics Terms The American Diabetes Association (ADA) The National Institute of Diabetes & Digestive & Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) The CDC Diabetes Public Health Resource The Joslin Diabetes Center The American Association of Diabetes Educators (AADE)

Second, gather the most appropriate statistics you can find that represent diabetes, obesity, and McDonald's growth (number of stores) over past couple of decades. Use the links below to facilitate your search. Center for Disease Control (CDC) United States Diabetes Prevalence Statistics CDC United States Obesity Statistics McDonald's Corporate Time line

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Once you have gathered your data, use it to answer the following questions. Using Excel for graphical displays and analysis will be very helpful!

GOOD LUCK!