H.R. No. 255 R E S O L U T I O N 1-1 WHEREAS, Diabetes is a devastating disease that poses a 1-2 serious public health problem for many Texans, for more than half a 1-3 million have been diagnosed with the disease, and half a million 1-4 more have the disease but have not yet been diagnosed; and 1-5 WHEREAS, The costs of treating complications that arise from 1-6 diabetes are high in terms of human suffering, lost income, 1-7 treatment costs, and costs to the state-supported medical care 1-8 programs; and 1-9 WHEREAS, A host of serious complications can arise if the 1-10 disease is uncontrolled, including amputations, blindness, kidney 1-11 failure, heart disease, birth defects, and strokes; thankfully, 1-12 patients can be taught to prevent these complications by adhering 1-13 to guidelines on diet, weight, exercise, and medical care; and 1-14 WHEREAS, Public health programs in our state are crucial to 1-15 the dissemination of information about diabetes and the development 1-16 of diabetes services for all Texans; to this end, the Texas 1-17 Diabetes Council has completed A Plan to Control Diabetes in Texas 1-18 for the express purposes of reducing illness from diabetes, 1-19 educating the public on the problems of the disease, and increasing 1-20 public support for essential health care services; and 1-21 WHEREAS, In addition, the American Diabetes Association 1-22 encourages development of a sound public policy that emphasizes 1-23 proper education, treatment, and self-management, thus ensuring 1-24 patients the same great quality of life enjoyed by other Texans; 2-1 and 2-2 WHEREAS, It is the express desire of the Texas House of 2-3 Representatives to raise public awareness of this growing health 2-4 care problem in our state and to voice care and concern for 2-5 diabetes patients; now, therefore, be it 2-6 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 74th Texas 2-7 Legislature hereby designate March 15, 1995, as Diabetes Day in 2-8 Texas to foster greater understanding of this disease.