healthy snacks for kids to make, lunches, parties, on the go

MEDICAL: DISEASES: DIABETES: Obesity Blamed for Doubling Rate of Diabetes Cases Obesity Blamed for Doubling Rate of Diabetes Cases By MIKE STOBBE Associated Press <http://ap.google.com/article/ ALeqM5ixhEAD2EhCpmtNPkTJFfCthte8GAD94538680 A shorter URL for the above _link_: A shorter URL for the above _link_: <http://tinyurl.com/5hk9km ATLANTA (AP)  The nation's obesity epidemic is exacting a heavy toll: The rate of new diabetes cases nearly doubled in the United States in the past 10 years, the government said Thursday. The highest rates were in the South, according to the first state-by-state review of new diagnoses. The worst was in West Virginia, where about 13 in 1,000 adults were diagnosed with the disease in 2005-07. The lowest was in Minnesota, where the rate was 5 in 1,000. Nationally, the rate of new cases climbed from about 5 per 1,000 in the mid-1990s to 9 per 1,000 in the middle of this decade. Roughly 90 percent of cases are Type 2 diabetes, the form _link_ed to obesity. The findings dovetail with trends seen in obesity and lack of exercise two health measures where Southern states also rank at the bottom. It isn't surprising the problem is heaviest in the South  no pun intended, agreed Matt Petersen, who oversees data and statistics for the American Diabetes Association. The study, led by Karen Kirtland of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, provides an up-to-date picture of where the disease is exploding. The information should be a big help as the government and health insurance companies decide where to focus prevention campaigns, Petersen said. Diabetes was the nation's seventh-leading cause of death in 2006, according to the CDC. More than 23 million Americans have diabetes, and the number is rapidly growing. About 1.6 million new cases were diagnosed among adults last year. [ The complete article may be read at the URL above. ]