One in three South Eastern Wisconsinites has been diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes. People with type 2 diabetes will likely develop heart disease, kidney disease, nerve damage and problems with oral health, vision, hearing, and mental health. Annually, a person with type 2 diabetes spends twice as much on health care as a person without.

Heart Disease is the leading cause of premature death in Wisconsin. While rates have declined nationally for heart disease as a cause of death, they remain high here. At 5 percent, Milwaukee County has the state’s highest rate of premature death due to heart disease. Substantially higher percentages of African Americans and Native Americans in Milwaukee County (6.4 percent and 5.5 percent, respectively) die each year due to heart disease.

One in three eastern Wisconsin residents are obese, putting them at high risk of developing other fatal diseases. In Wisconsin, obesity is present in 89% of diabetic cases, 82% of heart disease patients, 77% of heart attack patients, 75% of depression patients, and 75% of hypertension patients.

Hypertension impacts more than 40 percent of people in eastern Wisconsin—and half don’t have it under control. Communities of color are disproportionately affected, having the highest rates of hypertension, which can lead to stroke, heart disease and other co-morbidities.

In Milwaukee County, low birthweight babies challenge life at its start. In Milwaukee County, African American women are 40 times more likely to have low-birthweight babies (under five lbs.) than white women. Proper nutrition is a crucial factor in preventing low birthweight.