Nov 06 2008
Diabetes: We Get Our Own Month?
Apparently, November is American Diabetes Month. Who knew?
I find the concept of a month dedicated to the raising of awareness of the disease strange, and not just it is the same month as my annual craving for marshmellow topped yams. I find it odd that I’d never heard of it before. It’s almost funny that I had to get the disease to hear about the active movement to prevent it.
I don’t doubt the need to raise diabetes awareness. It is an easily forgettable disease. In it’s mildest forms there are no visible symptoms and when it does have visible signs, it doesn’t seem like it should be the cause. Who looks at a blind person and says “Too bad about their blood sugar”? Who sees someone who had to get their feet amputated and thinks “Must have been insulin resistance”?
Diabetes is becoming more widespread each day due to preventable behaviors. Care in diet and exercise is it all it takes to lower most people’s risk of ever seeing Type 2 diabetes. Foods you have easy access to may hold off the disease or ease its effects. But for some reason, this isn’t common knowledge. You shouldn’t have to do what I did and only find out because you got the disease.
There are events associated with this month long campaign of information, though none of them are happening anywhere near me (check this map to see if you’re closer). But one doesn’t have to attend a diabetes faire to find out about the disease. Most of what I know I got through spending ten minutes with Uncle Google or Auntie Wikipedia. The information is out there, all one needs is a reason to go look.
Do you need a reason? Here’s one: I hear it’s American Diabetes Month. Go celebrate it.
