Diabetes Risk Test: Take it. Share it. Step Out.
The American Diabetes Association is marking its 75th anniversary with their Alert Day campaign: “Take it. Share It. Step Out.”
American Diabetes Association Alert Day, which is held every fourth Tuesday in March, is a “wake-up call” asking the American public to take the Diabetes Risk Test to find out if they are at risk for developing type 2 diabetes.
Last year, over 118,000 people took the risk test from March 25 through April 25, and 37% of them were found to be at high risk for developing type 2 diabetes. So, this year, we are asking on behalf of the American Diabetes Association, for all our readers to take the risk test found at diabetes.org/takeitshareit and share the test with friends and loved ones. We’ll also have copies at both of our stores for your convenience.
Not only is taking the test important, but so is the beginning of living a healthy and active lifestyle by either starting or joining a team for one of the nationwide Step Out: Walk to Stop Diabetes® events. ? The majority of Step Out events occur in October. The public can search and register for events at diabetes.org/stepoutalert.
Why is Alert Day important?
Diabetes is a serious disease that strikes nearly 30 million children and adults in the United States, and more than a quarter of them—eight million—do not even know they have it. An additional 86 million have prediabetes, which puts them at high risk for developing type 2 diabetes. Unfortunately, diagnosis often comes 7 to 10 years after the onset of the disease, after disabling and even deadly complications have had time to develop.
Early diagnosis is critical to successful treatment and delaying or preventing complications such as:
- Heart disease
- Blindness
- Kidney disease
- Stroke
- Amputation
- Death
Who should participate in Alert Day?
- Overweight
- Under active
- Over 45
- African Americans
- Hispanics/Latinos
- Native Americans
- Asian Americans
- Pacific Islanders
- Family history of the disease
By understanding your risk, you can take the necessary steps to help prevent the onset of type 2 diabetes. Type 2 diabetes is a growing epidemic in the United States, but it can be controlled with knowledge and healthy behavior.
Studies have shown that type 2 diabetes can often be prevented or delayed by losing just 7% of body weight (such as 15 pounds if you weigh 200) through regular physical activity (30 minutes a day, five days a week) and healthy eating.
There are an estimated 86 million who have prediabetes. Those with prediabetes have blood glucose (sugar) higher than normal, but not high enough to be diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. Early intervention via lifestyle changes such as weight loss and increased physical activity can help delay or prevent the onset of type 2 diabetes.
The following are at greater risk for having undiagnosed diabetes:
- Older Americans: As people grow older, they are at an increased risk for developing diabetes. One out of every four Americans 65 and older has diabetes.
- High risk ethnic populations: African Americans, Hispanic/Latinos, Native Americans, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders are also at higher risk.
Get your free Diabetes Risk Test (English or Spanish), as well as information about diabetes and joining or starting a team, for a Step Out event by visiting diabetes.org/alert or by calling 1-800-DIABETES (1-800-342-2383).
Although Alert Day starts on March 24 and continues through April 21st, the Diabetes Risk Test is available online year-round.
Source: The American Diabetes Association
