Since the new year is often a time of resolutions to lead a healthier life, members of the Woman’s Club of Strausstown heard from a registered dietician and diabetes educator at their January meeting. Vicki Adam, a club member, is employed by Novo Nordisk, one of the three manufacturers of insulin in the United States, and her company sends their diabetes educators out to the community in the hope of stemming the rising tide of diabetes, which has become epidemic. Ms. Adam told the attendees that presently 1 in 12 Americans has diabetes, and 1 in 4 has pre-diabetes, with the possibility of 1 in 2 people developing diabetes by the year 2025, a sobering statistic. Many people do not even know they have the disease.
In addition to statistics, Ms. Adam spoke about the history of diabetes, informing the group that the disease has been recognized for centuries, with descriptions having been found on papyrus from ancient Egypt. In those days, diabetes was a death sentence, as no treatment was available. Some contributing factors which lead to a person developing the disease cannot be changed, such as ethnicity, age, and family history, but other risk factors can be minimized through life-style changes. Ms. Adam is also a licensed dietitian/nutritionist, so she is able to counsel people on ways to incorporate healthier eating habits into their daily routines. She stressed that the eating plans that are so important for those with diabetes are really the way all of us should be eating. Using graphics and plastic food items in order to answer questions from the club members, she explained various aspects of proper diet, such as serving size and balancing fats, proteins, and non-starchy vegetables with carbohydrates.
In keeping with the spirit of the program, the hostess committee offered healthy refreshments such as fresh vegetables and fruit after the program. The next meeting of the club will be held on Feb. 12, and will be a fun night entitled ‘Believe It or Not.’ In the meantime, a nominating committee has been formed and will work on securing candidates for club offices to be installed in May.
