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Sponsor Testimony for H.C.R. 18Chairman Lipps, Vice-Chair Manning, Ranking Member Boyd, and members of the House Health Committee. Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to provide sponsor testimony for House Concurrent Resolution 18 alongside my colleague Representative Liston.I’m sure I don’t have to convince the Health committee why early screening for pre-diabetes can be a lifesaver. As with any disease, the sooner we can diagnose and address the problem, the better. Unfortunately, as current medical practice in Ohio stands, we are not making all the efforts we could to ensure that all the people of our community are being taken care of in this regard.According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), across America, 1 in 4 people who have diabetes are not even aware they have it.For Asian-Americans, that ratio is even higher, with as many as 1 in 2 Asian-American diabetics being unaware of their disease. There is no other ethnic group in America with such a high ratio of undiagnosed diabetes.Because being overweight is a risk factor for developing type II diabetes, Asian-Americans, being part of an ethnic group that does not commonly struggle with overweight or obesity, will often not get tested. This is why the body mass index (BMI) screening level which is typically implemented by health professionals is not a good enough metric for Asian-Americans. Most Americans are tested for diabetes when they have a BMI of 25 or higher. Representative Liston and I are urging Ohio to recommend the screening of adult Asian-Americans for type II diabetes at a BMI of 23. If we were to adopt this resolution, we would become the sixth state in the nation to formally recognize this problem.My time serving on the Commission on Minority Health has taught me the importance of accommodating racial disparities in our approach to healthcare. If we can prevent disease in even just one Ohioan, it would be a great victory for all of us. As we strive toward better health for ourselves and our community, we must bear in mind that education and awareness are what empower us to accomplish these goals.Thank you for your time here today and we will be glad to answer any questions you may have. ................
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