GMW Raising Awareness for World Diabetes Day
GMW is helping to bring attention to World Diabetes Day which takes place today, 14th November.
Diabetes is a condition where the amount of glucose in your blood is too high because the body cannot use it properly. This is because your pancreas doesn’t produce any insulin, or not enough insulin, to help glucose enter your body’s cells.
According to Diabetes UK, It’s estimated that almost 3.8 million people in the UK have the condition and around 850,000 with Type 2 diabetes don’t know that they have it.
Here are some interesting facts:
- November 14th is a significant date in the diabetes calendar because it marks the birthday of the man who co-discovered insulin, Frederick Banting.
- People who are diagnosed with schizophrenia are 2-4 times more likely to develop type 2 diabetes.
- 30 minutes of exercise a day can reduce your risk of developing type 2 diabetes by 40%.
As part of the Trust's Help Yourself to Health campaign GMW has introduced a number of initiatives to help reduce the risk of Diabetes to our service users:
- Eye screening is extremely important for diabetic people, this is why GMW have recently commissioned an Ophthalmologist on the Prestwich site to screen and look after the needs of our diabetic service users.
- The Trust has also recently employed Dieticians to provide support and assistance to service users so that they can eat correctly, reducing the risk of illnesses like Diabetes and leading to a healthier lifestyle.
For more information on Diabetes and ways to improve your health visit the Physical Health page on our website.
