November is upon us and with midterm exams in full swing, most of us cannot stop thinking about the two days this month where it is just us, family and a huge turkey dinner. But before you go back for that second piece of pumpkin pie, or third if you’re like me, take the time to remember that November is also Diabetes Awareness Month.
What is Diabetes Awareness Month? A month that provides an opportunity for people to become educated on the complications and the preventative measures of this disease.
Why take an entire month to educate individuals on diabetes? Because diabetes is a disease that is becoming more prevalent in both America and the rest of the world. According to National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse (NDIC) 23.6 million Americans, or 7.8 percent of the population, have diabetes. Worldwide, 246 million people have diabetes and it is expected that 380 million people will have diabetes by the year 2025. Every 30 seconds a person is diagnosed with the disease in America, resulting in 1.6 million diagnosed each year. These numbers continue to grow, which is startling considering that diabetes is the seventh leading cause of death in the United States. So as we can see, diabetes is not just a small condition but a serious disease that requires action from everyone.
How can we prevent getting diabetes? By taking control of your health. With a healthy lifestyle one can prevent or delay the onset of Type 2 diabetes.
What is included in a healthy lifestyle? According to the American Diabetes Association, changing your diet, increasing your level of physical activity and maintaining a healthy weight would be positive steps in staying healthier longer and reducing your risk of diabetes.
How do we start our healthy lifestyles? According to the National Diabetes Education Program, there are five broad areas that can help individuals embark on their journey to healthy lifestyles. These areas include reducing portion size, making smarter food choices, moving more each day, nurturing the body and soul, and being creative. This could mean taking the stairs instead of the elevator, having a salad instead of that juicy Gritty Burger, or just taking time each day to just relax and breathe. These are just a few helpful tips but it is up to you to be creative and find what works for you under each of the areas.
With Diabetes Awareness month upon us, ask yourself,” How can I help stop diabetes”? It is important for us to know that the future of diabetes is in our hands. For more information in English and Spanish call 1-800-DIABETES or visit stopdiabetes.com. Also, it is possible to follow the American Diabetes Association on Facebook (www.facebook.com/AmericanDiabetesAssociation) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/AmDiabetesAssn).
So instead of that second piece of pumpkin pie this Thanksgiving, maybe start the touch football game a couple minutes earlier and take that first step to combating diabetes.
Jake Asplin ([email protected]) is a second-year student in the doctorate of pharmacy program. This column was written for Operation Diabetes, an organization under the Wisconsin Society of Pharmacy Students.
