Give your health a shake-up this diabetes week

15 Jul, 2019, 3:55 pm15 Jul, 2019, 5:43 pm Sia Anthopoulos

A new booklet can help you improve your health.

Are you keen to get healthy but have been putting it off? What better time to give your health a shake-up than National Diabetes Week (14-20 July).

Western Sydney Diabetes (WSD) director Professor Glen Maberly said the prevalence of type 2 diabetes in western Sydney is growing rapidly.

“Nearly half the population in western Sydney is either affected by, or at risk of developing, type 2 diabetes,” Prof Maberly said.

“If you live in western Sydney, you are more likely to have diabetes than if you live in the eastern suburbs of Sydney or the northern beaches.”

Routine testing for type 2 diabetes continues at Blacktown and Mount Druitt emergency departments, which has shown thirty percent of people tested were likely to have pre-diabetes, while 17 per cent were likely to have type 2 diabetes.

These figures are similar to those identified during testing conducted at general practices in western Sydney.

Two-year-old Ethan from Glenhaven demonstrates how people should treat junk food.

“The good news is it’s possible to beat type 2 diabetes by making changes to your diet and lifestyle,” Prof Maberly said.

“A sustained weight loss of 2-4 kg can stop diabetes in its tracks.

“Daily exercise and a healthy diet low in processed foods, low in fat and sugar and full of fresh fruits and vegetables, will not only help to prevent diabetes, but will leave you feeling more energised.”

For National Diabetes Week, WSD is giving away a free ‘Healthy Living Options’ booklet to inspire people to get healthy and prevent type 2 diabetes. The booklet contains free or inexpensive exercise programs, health services and facilities available locally.

“We hope our Healthy Living Options booklet will motivate people to take the first step to improving their health,” Prof Maberly said.

“Early detection is key to boosting your chance of beating diabetes and related complications such as blindness, kidney disease and heart disease.

“The best thing you can do for your health this July is to get tested for diabetes. The sooner you get tested, the sooner you can take the steps to beat diabetes.”

You may be at risk of type 2 diabetes if you are an adult who:

Has a family history of diabetes
Leads an inactive lifestyle;
Is overweight; or
Has a Pacific Island, Indian subcontinent, Chinese, or South East Asian background.

To download your copy of the WSD Healthy Living Options booklet, visit the WSD website at https://www.westernsydneydiabetes.com.au/themes/default/basemedia/content/files/1014_WSLHD_Healthy-OptionsV3_A5_May2019_WEB_D7.pdf . For more information about WSD, visit the website at https://www.westernsydneydiabetes.com.au/ .

WSLHD invests approximately $2 million annually on tackling obesity, and $1.5 million for the Western Sydney Diabetes initiative.