“People who did the life-changing program reduced at risk of getting (diabetes) about 58 percent,” she said. “Even more for people over 50 years old.”
About 12 percent of Clark County adults have been diagnosed with diabetes, statistics from the Clark County Health District says. That’s four percent higher than the average of counties in Ohio and five percent higher than the national average.
“We know that diabetes is a serious disease that affects Clark County at a higher rate than the state and the national average. It is also often preventable and can be managed through physical activity, diet, and the appropriate use of insulin and other medications to control blood sugar levels,” Clark County Combined Health District Commissioner Charlie Patterson said. “CCCHD is committed to the prevention and management of diabetes through programs that increase access to healthy foods, increase opportunities for physical activity and provide support for those with the disease.”
The Clark County Combined Health District offers free monthly Diabetes Support Groups. One is the second Wednesday of every month at the New Carlisle Public Library from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. and the other is at the Clark County Combined Health District every second Thursday of the month from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m.
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“In cooperation with the Clark-Champaign Diabetes Association, the Clark County Combined Health District offers reduced cost testing meters and strips,” Patterson said.
The risk of getting diabetes is usually a result of lifestyle choices, Hostetler said. The program, which is open only to people who are at risk of getting the disease, asks residents to attend meetings, weigh in, and discuss how they can prevent the disease.
“We talk about how to eat well, the importance of proportion sizes and carbs,” she said. “We talk about ways to be active and fit more activity in your life. We talk about managing stress and how to think more positively.”
The meetings take place at Kroger on Derr Road.
She said the conversation takes a deeper dive into a person’s life to try to figure out what causes a person to eat unhealthily or live an inactive lifestyle. She said sometimes it’s how a person was raised and sometimes it’s a case where a person needs priorities.
The meetings are scheduled around the availability of residents and anyone interested in participating or learning more information should call 877-444-9689.
12.5 percent: Adults in Clark County that have diabetes
9.5 percent: Adults in Ohio that have diabetes
8.5 percent: Adults in America that have diabetes
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