November is National Diabetes Month

November is National Diabetes Month and is set aside to recognize the physical, social, and emotional impacts diabetes has on more than 30 million Americans. Another 84 million people in the United States are living with prediabetes, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

During November the National Institutes of Health encourage people to make small, incremental, healthy changes aimed at reducing the risk of Type 2 diabetes and reversing prediabetes.

Physicals and regular checkups let people know where they stand and if they need to make any changes. Making a few small changes at a time, rather than making sweeping changes all at once, can help people stick to the plan and succeed. Set goals and keep track of them. Writing down goals keeps people honest with themselves. Find a buddy to help with the changes. Success often happens when people tackle a problem together. Lose weight. Simply taking off five to seven percent of your starting weight can prevent or delay diabetes.

Observe National Diabetes Month by learning about how to control the disease. Learn how new medications make it easier to manage insulin and blood sugar levels. Learn how to eat a healthy diet and get exercise.

Talk with your doctor if you have questions about diabetes.

Find out more about diabetes care at https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/dsmes-toolkit/index.html.