Wash. - The nation's diabetes problem is getting worse and the rate has more than doubled in Washington state.
Health officials said most cases are linked to obesity but the rates are also up because people with diabetes are living longer.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued the state report Thursday.
Health officials say the rate has more than tripled in Oklahoma, and Southern states such as Kentucky, Alabama, and Georgia have also boomed.
The diabetes rate also doubled in Northern states, too, including Washington, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, South Dakota, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio and Maine.
