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Michigan Joins National Diabetes Awareness Month Efforts
November 12, 2014
LANSING, Mich. – An estimated 10.4 percent of Michigan adults 18 years and older have been diagnosed with diabetes. That’s why the Michigan Department of Community Health (MDCH) is supporting the Michigan Diabetes Awareness Month Capitol Event on Thursday, Nov. 13, from 9:30 to 10 a.m. at the State Capitol Rotunda.
“This event will show participants that it’s not too late to start living a healthy, active lifestyle and you can even have fun while doing it,” said Nick Lyon, director of the MCDH. “With a sensible diet and exercise, you can take charge of your diabetes and help prevent its deadly complications.
The event, which features the national theme ‘America Gets Cooking to Stop Diabetes,’ is designed to engage and empower Americans to cook nutritious and delicious food, and to encourage them to be more active. In recognition of National Diabetes Month in November, the American Diabetes Association (ADA) will share healthy cooking tips, diabetes and nutrition facts, recipes and more via social media and can be viewed at http://www.diabetesforecast.org/.
The Michigan Diabetes Awareness Month Capitol Event is open to community members, legislators, and health care and community health practitioners who work with diabetes management and prevention programs. Guest speakers will address diabetes initiatives in Michigan and how to purchase and prepare healthy foods on a budget. The 2014 winner of the Sally Joy Leadership Award will also be presented by the Diabetes Partners in Action Coalition and the ADA.
New data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) suggest that after decades of continued growth in cases of diagnosed diabetes, the diabetes epidemic may be beginning to slow. However, reducing new cases of diabetes is unlikely without continuing to reduce obesity, improve diet and reduce sedentary lifestyle in the U.S. population.
Lifestyle change programs – like CDC-led National Diabetes Prevention Program – can help those at high risk of developing the disease. Visit http://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/prevention/index.htm for more information about the Diabetes Prevention Program and a list of Michigan programs.
For more information about the Nov. 13th Lansing Capitol event, please contact Gary Dougherty at the American Diabetes Association at GDougherty@diabetes.org or visit http://www.dpacmi.org/.
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