Kate Long

Lexi Winnell, a 9-year-old girl with Native American ancestry, is insulin resistant. Her grandparents have gone all out to keep her from getting diabetes.

<p>Donovan Patterson was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes when he was 14 years old.&nbsp;The only time the thought of beind stuck with diabetes for the rest of his life leaves his mind is when he's playing music.</p><p><span style="color: #333333; font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', times, serif;

<p>Benji was 16 years old and 270 pounds when he decided he needed to loose weight if he wanted to be a firefighter when he grew up.</p><p>Since then, with the encouragement of his community, he has been able to run off 100 pounds.&nbsp;</p>

Journalist Kate Long explores West Virginia's epidemics of chronic disease and obesity and the efforts to prevent them in an ongoing series called "The Shape We're In."

<p>A federally-funded health center, Cabin Creek Health Systems accepts patients whether they can pay or not. Freida Smith is one of their 14,000 patients.</p>

<div class="node-body"><div class="node-body"><div class="node-body"><div class="node-body"><div class="node-body"><div class="node-body"><div class="node-body"><p>Three years ago, when West Virginia was leading the nation in diabetes, the&nbsp;American Diabetes Association&nbsp;shut down its West Virginia office.</p><div>Now, officials have decided to bring the organization back to West Virginia.</div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>

<div class="node-body"><div class="node-body"><div class="node-body"><div class="node-body"><div class="node-body"><div class="node-body"><p>West Virginia is among the top five on just about every national chronic disease list. The state leads the nation in diabetes and obesity, according to the Gal

<p>One in six of Logan County's 36,700 residents is a diabetic, according to the Centers for Disease Control, and there are many more who don't know they have it.</p>

<p>Glenda has no insurance. She makes $350 every two weeks. If she were diabetic, she could get insulin free through the clinic if she needed it, but not the diabetic finger sticks and testing strips, which cost about $45. "I can't afford to get diabetes," she said.</p>

<p>For four hours, Bill Hall used to lie on a padded vinyl recliner, one arm stretched out, two thick needles sticking out of it. One needle drained the blood from his body. The other put it back.</p>