Tips are given to people who have questions about diabetes and what they can do to prevent it.
National Diabetes Alert Day is celebrated annually on the fourth Tuesday in March.
This “wake-up call” day educates the public about the severity of diabetes and encourages people to take the diabetes risk test to make sure their health is in check and to catch up on your family’s history of diabetes.
According to the National Institute for Diabetes and Digestive Kidney Disease, approximately 34.2 million Americans have diabetes. or about 10.5 percent of the US population.
If you even need a specialist to speak to you about diabetes or need help if you have diabetes, the San Angelo Diabetes Coalition is a resource that can help.
The coalition opened in 2017 and is funded by companies like Shannon Medical Center and Blue Cross Blue Shield. The San Angelo Diabetes Coalition’s mission is to improve the health of the population by developing and supporting programs to reduce the incidence and complications of diabetes, and to address causal factors. One of the San Angelo Diabetes Coalition’s health aides, Mary Montez, urges people to reach out to the coalition if they ever have questions about diabetes.
“We have a handful of resources for people in West Texas who need them. Genetics play a huge role in certain people who have diabetes. We can do our best to avoid this by watching what we eat, ”said Montez.
There are currently 30 million Americans who have type 2 diabetes, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Of these, seven million do not know that they have the disease. Although the American Diabetes Association encourages Americans to take the diabetes risk test on Diabetes Alert Day, the test is available year-round on the ADA website.
Floyd Huang, professor of physical therapy at Angelo State University, informs people that to stay healthy and active, they don’t need to run a marathon or buy a gym membership. All it takes is to bring exercise into your daily life and you will see a change in your body.
“Whether you get up to watch TV or take the stairs instead of the elevator, adding a simple physical element to your daily life can keep you active and healthy,” Huang said.
Prior to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic last year, the coalition had training courses with the YMCA and diabetes support groups that they hope will continue sometime this year.
While important days like National Diabetes Alert Day and National Diabetes Month are respected, it is still important to keep track of your health year round.
