The huge jump in cases has the makings of a serious public health problem, according to the CDC, because of the slow, insidious way that diabetes kills people. Diabetes is a leading cause of blindness as blood vessels in the eyes break down. It often causes severe heart problems, high blood pressure and kidney disease. People with diabetes are two to four times more likely than the rest of us to have strokes and heart disease. Diabetics often have open sores on their lower legs and feet that refuse to heal as the flow of blood to the extremities is impeded.
Amputations are fairly common.
Eventually, each of these horrors would visit Betty. She had been warned to stay on her diet, take good care of her feet and lose some weight. In the early years, Betty worked hard to stay healthy. She watched what she ate and washed her feet daily in an old tin tub. She didn't get much exercise, though, and the weight stayed on.