Diabetesville, USA tells the story of Cameron County, Texas, a region of the country suffering a healthcare crisis so severe it is affecting 30 percent of the total population. Diabetes and obesity have become so commonplace along the Texas/Mexico border, they have lulled the community into acceptance. More importantly, this film gives the nation a window into the future as recent estimates by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicate that by the year 2050, the rest of the nation will look like Diabetesville, USA, does today. A provocative film, Diabetesville, USA examines the healthcare system, culture and response of a community trying to move from complacency to action in fighting obesity and diabetes. This film is a cautionary tale that brings to light shocking issues such as the huge increase in Type II diabetic children in South Texas.—Anonymous

When the South Texas border region makes the news, the headlines are almost always about the drug war raging just across the Rio Grande. But there's an untold story in this community that threatens not just the health and future of the region, but the nation as well. Almost 30 percent of the population of Cameron County, Texas, has diabetes. Experts predict the rest of the country will catch up by 2050. Diabetes can blind, cripple and kill. The impact on our health care system will be just as catastrophic. Even more troubling is the rise in the number of children diagnosed with Type II diabetes. Once rarely seen before middle age, this insulin-resistant, largely lifestyle-related form of the disease is now showing up in children as young as 8. Researchers are studying 2,500 adult Cameron County residents to learn just how prevalent diabetes is in the local population and the scope of its physical, personal and economic impact on the community. With multiple generations of families dealing with the myriad complications of diabetes, including stroke, heart attack, kidney failure and amputation, a certain brand of fatalism often takes root, dulling the motivation of those suffering from or at risk of developing the disease from taking steps to improve their health. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention the direct and indirect costs of diabetes were about $174 billion in 2007. That doesn't even take into account an estimated $58 billion dollars in lost productivity. The CDC has also found that people with diabetes, on average, incur more than twice the medical expenses of people without diabetes. Whether South Texas will be able to curb the diabetes boom before it overloads the health care system remains to be seen. But what's happening there now is a glimpse of the future for cities and towns across America -- unless we learn from this lesson today.—michael seringer