November - American Diabetes Month
Beverly Miller, MHA, MBA, Acting Area Director
Indian Health Service California Area Office
Sponsor: American Diabetes Association
National Diabetes Month is observed every November to draw attention to diabetes and its effects on millions of Americans. Diabetes is one of the leading causes of disability and death in the United States. It can cause blindness, nerve damage, kidney disease, and other health problems if it’s not controlled.
One in 11 Americans have diabetes — that’s more than 29 million people. And another 86 million adults in the United States are at high risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
For the Native population in California, the Area wide final results for the Diabetes-related GPRA/GPRAMA measures in 2015 were:
Good Glycemic Control (A1c <8*) |
50.3% |
Controlled BP <140/90 |
63.0% |
LDL Assessed |
72.6% |
Nephropathy Assessed |
58.4% |
Retinopathy Exam |
48.0% |
The good news is that you can prevent type 2 diabetes! People who are at high risk for type 2 diabetes can lower their risk by more than half if they make healthy changes. These changes include: eating healthy, increasing physical activity, and losing weight.
How can American Diabetes Month make a difference?
We can use this month to raise awareness about diabetes risk factors and encourage people to make healthy changes.
Here are just a few ideas:
Encourage people to make small changes, like taking the stairs instead of the elevator.
Talk to people in your community about getting regular checkups. They can get their blood pressure and cholesterol checked, and ask the doctor about their diabetes risk.
Ask doctors and nurses to be leaders in their communities by speaking about the importance of healthy eating and physical activity.
Get Involved
Take action to increase awareness about diabetes and healthy lifestyles.
- Partner with your local gym or YMCA to host a Diabetes Prevention Party focused on healthy eating and physical activity. Give away gym passes, fitness class certificates, or workout gear. Ask gym staff to do demonstrations or teach a free class.
- Find out which local churches have a health ministry. Offer to give a presentation on how to prevent type 2 diabetes at their next event.
- Host a cooking demonstration featuring diabetes-friendly recipes. Get local nutritionists involved.
- Include healthy Thanksgiving recipes in your next newsletter or company email along with quick tips on how to prevent type 2 diabetes.
- Post tips on type 2 diabetes prevention on your employee bulletin board.
- Encourage your members or employees to get active. Organize lunchtime walks or invite local gyms to showcase their fitness classes and programs.
Find More Information
- American Diabetes Association
American Diabetes Month Sponsor - Preventing Type 2 Diabetes
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - Will Diabetes Be Part of Your Story?
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - Diabetes in Older People: A Disease You Can Manage
National Institutes of Health, National Institute on Aging - Minority Women’s Health: Diabetes
Department of Health and Human Services, Office on Women’s Health - I Have Diabetes
National Institutes of Health, National Diabetes Education Program - What African Americans with Diabetes or High Blood Pressure Need to Know [PDF – 2 MB]
National Institutes of Health, National Kidney Disease Education Program - National Institute for Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK)
http://ndep.nih.gov/partners-community-organization/national-diabetes-month/2015.aspx