Dining With Diabetes... Can Be Fun!

 

HURLEY, WI - Wednesday, September 09, 2009 - Three area agencies will partner this fall to offer a series of classes designed to benefit residents with diabetes and their families.

Dining with Diabetes will be presented by staff from Grand View Health System, the Iron County Health Department, and Michigan State University Extension. The 4-class series will begin on Monday, September 28 and be held on Mondays and Thursdays in the late-afternoon, at the Iron County Courthouse in Hurley.

According to Lucia Patritto of MSU Extension, “We’ve assembled a great team of educators and health care professionals to offer this program. Each of the four classes will include diabetes and nutrition education, recipe demonstrations, and samples of each recipe prepared. We’ll also discuss the various tests that are important for people who have diabetes, and give participants an opportunity for testing at no-cost. We encourage not only the person living with diabetes, but spouses, adult children, and family or professional caregivers to attend, as well.”

Instructors include Jeanne Peterson, registered nurse and diabetes educator and Geneva Smiles, community health and wellness coordinator at Grand View Health System. They will be joined by Zona Wick, registered nurse and director; Liana Saari, R.N., and Julanne Ritter, R.N. all of the Iron County Health Department, Lucia Patritto, educator and County Extension Director of MSUE in Gogebic County, and Marilyn Smollar, registered dietitian.

Wick said, “There is no charge to attend Dining with Diabetes classes, however we ask that people attend all four classes. There will also be a follow-up session several months later that we invite people to attend.”

She went on to say, “Diabetes is a serious and costly disease, but research shows that those who learn to manage their blood glucose (sugar) levels, eat a healthy diet, and get regular physical activity, can lower their risks of complications and lead a healthier and more productive life.”

Though the classes are free to the participant, space is limited, and pre-registration is necessary. People are encouraged to pre-register early by calling the Iron County Health Department at (715) 561-2191 or 1-888-561-2191, or MSU Extension at (906) 663-4045 or 1-888-MSUE-4-MI (Gogebic).

Funding for this series of Dining with Diabetes is provided by the Wisconsin Diabetes Prevention and Control Program. Any resident of Gogebic or Iron County (WI) may attend.

To learn more about Dining with Diabetes, call Zona Wick or Lucia Patritto at the listed phone numbers.

What is Diabetes?

Diabetes is a common, serious, and costly disease. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has reported that diabetes is the 6th leading cause of death in the United States. And about one-third of people with diabetes are unaware they have the disease.

The rate of diabetes has increased dramatically among people in Gogebic and Iron Counties. Recent statistics for our two-county area show that about 10.1% of our residents have diabetes, either diagnosed by a medical professional, or undiagnosed. This number rises to almost 20% for citizens over age 65.

Locally, we also rank high in the incidences of obesity and physical inactivity. These lifestyle measures, combined with the fact that our area has a large percentage of older citizens, lead to an expected continued rise in both prevalence and incidence of diabetes.

Diabetes is called a lifestyle disease. It can be controlled by making changes in our lifestyle - changing our eating habits, increasing our level of physical activity, and losing excess weight. These lifestyle changes can control and even prevent some of the complication of diabetes.

The good news for residents of the Gogebic range is that programs like Dining with Diabetes can help make changes in their lives. Taking an active role in understanding diabetes, following a meal, plan, and increasing physical activity are the first steps in controlling blood sugar levels.