November is American Diabetes Month. Diabetes is one of the leading causes of disability and death in the United States. 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. To raise awareness about diabetes and healthy living, the Bloomfield Department of Health & Human Services is proudly participating in American Diabetes Month. If you are overweight, have high blood pressure, or are age 45 or older, you are at higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Diabetes is a disease in which blood sugar levels are above normal. Serious complications can result from diabetes, including heart disease, kidney failure, blindness, and amputations of the legs, feet, and/or toes. You must visit a physician for diagnosis, but some of the symptoms may be: frequent urination, excessive thirst, unexplained weight loss, extreme hunger, sudden vision changes, tingling or numbness in hands/feet, very dry skin, being very tired much of the time, sores that are slow to heal, and more infections than usual.
For people at high risk of developing diabetes, they can delay or possibly prevent the onset of the disease by:
losing a small amount of weight (5 to 7 percent of total body weight)
getting 30 minutes of physical activity 5 days a week
Healthier eating
For more information, please contact Caldwell’s Certified Health Education Specialist, Michael J. Hodges at: healthed@bloomfieldtwpnj.com (973.680.4183)
