During American Diabetes Month® this November, the American
Diabetes Association will be asking the community to submit a personal image to
the Association’s Facebook mosaic representing what A Day in the Life of Diabetes means to them to showcase the
extraordinary effort it takes to live a day with diabetes. Facebook announced
as of October 11th, more than 219 billion photos have already been uploaded to the social
network. The goal of the campaign is for Facebook users
to share images about how they deal with the disease on an everyday basis,
whether they or loved ones are inflicted.
Livingston county
residents can post images of themselves or someone they care about, or
otherwise represent how the disease impacts their lives. The image will then make up a larger mosaic
image that will embody the message of A
Day in the Life of Diabetes. Search for “American Diabetes Association” on
Facebook to find the information about the mosaic and click on the box that
says “upload photo.” It will take you to
a page to view other photos and upload your own.
This year, the Association will change the mosaic image
several times throughout November to show the many compelling images that
represent A Day in the Life of Diabetes. These photos that will embody the mosaic
throughout the month will capture the essence of the campaign and the movement
to Stop Diabetes®. In addition, the association will curate uploaded photos and
incorporate them into a “larger-than-life” outdoor display in Washington. D.C.
as part of its efforts to raise awareness about American Diabetes Month. As an added benefit, CVS
Pharmacy will donate $1 to the American Diabetes Association for
every uploaded photo up to $25,000.
The Association will also be working
closely with NASCAR driver, Ryan Reed, to showcase the mosaic in the NASCAR
series. Ryan’s race car will be wrapped with photos from the mosaic and
will be featured in his Nov. 9 race in Phoenix during American Diabetes Month.
“We’re excited to further grow this
campaign and heighten the overall awareness of diabetes in Livingston County,”
stated Anita Perry, RN, Certified Diabetes Educator. “Diabetes doesn’t stop. It is 24/7, 365 days a year. By calling on
our community to take a public stand through social media, we continue to shine
a light on the issue of diabetes and those who live with it each and every day.”
In addition to supporting this ADA campaign,
the Livingston County Health Center in observance of Diabetes Awareness Month
is offering a Diabetes Workshop on Saturday, November 16, 2013 from 9-12 in the
center’s conference room.
The workshop will offer information about
“What is diabetes?”, meal planning, home glucose monitoring, and avoiding long
and short term complications of diabetes.
The information offered in the workshop is based on self-care lifestyle
changes that may need to be made to improve or control diabetes.
Diabetes is a serious disease. Recent estimates project that as many as one
in three American adults will have diabetes in 2050, and an additional 79
million Americans are at high risk for developing type 2 diabetes. The American
Diabetes Association estimates that the total national cost of diagnosed
diabetes in the United States is $245 billion.
If it isn’t managed, it can damage many parts of the body, leading to
heart attacks, strokes, amputation, blindness, kidney failure and nerve
damage. People with diabetes, unlike
those with many other medical problems, can’t just take pills or insulin in the
morning, and then forget about their health the rest of the day. Differences in diet, exercise levels, stress
and other factors may all affect blood sugar levels. So, the more people with diabetes learn how
these factors affect them, the better control they will be able to
achieve.
Diabetes experts know
and will tell you, despite all the advances in diabetes treatment, education
and knowledge remains the cornerstone of diabetes care and management. Diabetes complications can be prevented or
delayed by properly managing blood glucose, blood pressure and cholesterol
levels. Eating healthy, being physically
active and quitting smoking also can help lower the risk of diabetes
complications.
Join us for the workshop
and see how the information can help you control your diabetes!
