Indiana House Public Health Committee approves Summers diabetes study bill

INDIANAPOLIS – The House Public Health Committee has unanimously passed legislation authored by State Representative Vanessa Summers (D-Indianapolis) calling for research to be done about diabetes and prediabetes in Indiana.

House Bill 1175 would create a strategic plan to reduce the number of people who have diabetes and prediabetes.

“Our government has been too lax on chronic diseases, and people are just used to it,” Rep. Summers said. “But diabetes is reversible—it does not have to be a person’s destiny.

House Bill 1175 would establish workgroups to assist in creating a plan to help raise awareness of diabetes and prediabetes in Indiana. The strategic plans will include members of the State Department of Health, the Secretary of the Family and Social Services Administration, and the Superintendent of the Department of Education.

“It is safe to say that diabetes has achieved epidemic status in Indiana,” Rep. Summers said. “In Indiana, some 540,000 Hoosier adults have diabetes, which is about 11 percent of the population. Of that percentage, about half (280,000) have prediabetes and don’t even know it. To put into perspective, that is the size of the population of Fort Wayne.

“The public needs to be educated about the risks of diabetes, and they need to be informed on what can be done to treat it. It includes changes to lifestyle, including what you eat, and the need for exercise. The need for an active debate on these issues is something I am very much looking forward to, as it can really help improve the lives of so many people in our state,” Rep. Summers said.