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About The nugget. (Sisters, Or.) 1994-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 15, 2018)
Wednesday, August 15, 2018 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon Health & Fitness DIABETES: Prevention program launches in September Continued from page 1 above normal. Most food when eaten turns into sugar and is used as energy for the body. The pancreas, an organ that lies near the stomach, makes a hormone called insu- lin to help sugar get into our body’s cells. When you have diabetes, your body either doesn’t make enough insulin (Type 1) or can’t use its own insulin as well as it should (Type 2). This causes sugar to build up in the blood. Diabetes can cause serious health complications includ- ing heart disease, blindness, kidney failure, and lower-limb amputations. Thirty million Americans have diabetes, and one out of four don’t know they have it. Diabetes is the seventh leading cause of death in the United States. Dr. Eden Miller, who works as a diabetologist and family practitioner, travels world-wide lecturing and sharing her extensive knowl- edge of the disease. Dr. Kevin Miller’s practice emphasizes preventative medicine and encourages healthy lifestyle choices to prevent diseases like diabetes. His tireless work advocating for the Sisters community resulted in the first-ever Diabetes Prevention Program. The program instructor is Kylie Loving. She is the Dia- betes Prevention Coordinator and a Health Educator for the Crook County Health Depart- ment. Kevin Miller couldn’t be more pleased to see Sisters finally have a program with such a well-qualified and tal- ented facilitator. “Kylie has a real heart for diabetes prevention. I’m delighted that she’s wanting to care for folks in Sisters,” he said. Research shows that peo- ple who stick with the princi- ples of the program can main- tain the benefit for 10 years to prevent diabetes. “People who adopt these principles and make these lifestyle changes have a sense of pride and accomplishment that they carry with them,” said Dr. Miller. In her years teaching the class, Loving has seen partici- pants that were in prediabetes range return to normal blood- sugar levels. “I’ve had participants who never exercise, who now love and look forward to exercis- ing,” she said. “Their other medications were lessened because of the class. Weight loss is not the only focus, but it’s an aspect that benefits peo- ple. They lose weight if they follow the principles taught in the class. They are very happy with the results.” If losing weight, being healthier and taking steps to prevent Type 2 diabetes isn’t enough, Loving is offering raffles and incentives for par- ticipation. During the first six months, each week there’s a drawing for a $10 gift card. If students attend nine out of the 16 classes they are entered to win a $50 gift card. Attend eight of the post-core sessions and they are entered to win a $100 gift card. Participants that reach a 7 percent weight loss and achieve the atten- dance goals are entered to win a $250 gift card. “They’re great incentives,” said Loving. An introductory session kicks off the program on Sep- tember 27, from 1 to 2 p.m. at Sisters Park & Recreation District. Held a week before the first class, it serves as an opportunity to get familiar with the location and meet Kylie and the other attendees. To learn if you have pre- diabetes, there’s a website: doihaveprediabetes.org which only takes a few seconds. Your score shows if you are in the prediabetes risk category. Potential participants can also take the test at the introduc- tory session on September 27. The Diabetes Prevention Program is a national program that was designed after years of scientific study and feed- back from past programs. It lasts for a year; in the first six months there are weekly meetings, then once or twice a month for the second half to maintain healthy lifestyle changes. Dr. Kevin Miller can’t stress enough how important prevention is for Type 2 dia- betes — not just for the Sis- ters community but the entire country. 19 “Diabetes is a tsunami and we are unaware that it’s com- ing at us,” warned Miller. “There’s 30 million Ameri- cans with diabetes now and there’s 84 million with predia- betes. It’s a looming health- care crisis. A patient with dia- betes can cost up to four times as much per year in healthcare costs… and I’m probably being conservative.” To learn more about the class or sign up, call Kylie Loving at 541-447-3260.
