For patients with prediabetes, making dietary and lifestyle changes—and sticking to them—is crucial. Use National Diabetes Month this November to encourage your patients to stay healthy during the holiday season.
Studies suggest diabetes prevalence has as much as tripled in recent decades, and data show about two in five Americans will develop type 2 diabetes at some point in their lives.
Here are four tips for your patients, compiled from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), that can help them stay healthy through the winter holiday season.
- Make smart food choices. Tell your patients to have a healthy snack before a party to avoid over-eating later. They also can ask what food will be served to see how it fits into their meal plan, or even volunteer to bring their own nutritious dish. Choosing smaller portions and low-calorie drinks are easy ways to keep calories in check.
- Be prepared when traveling. Air travel or long car rides might tempt patients to grab convenient, unhealthy food. Encourage them to pack their own snacks, such as a small cooler of fresh fruits and vegetables or small portions of dried fruits and nuts.
- Use time with family to talk about diabetes risk. Family history of disease is important in understanding chances for developing type 2 diabetes. Patients can find out whether their family has a history of the disease or whether other family members have been told they have prediabetes.
- Stick to a schedule. Just because patients are out of town or entertaining guests doesn’t mean they should stop exercising. Tell patients to continue their exercise regime, or help them determine different programs for different environments.
As part of its Improving Health Outcomes initiative, the AMA is working with the YMCA of the USA to explore a process for physicians to screen patients for prediabetes, refer eligible patients to participate in the local YMCA Diabetes Prevention Program and receive feedback from the program to use in patients’ care plans.
The YMCA’s program is part of on the CDC’s evidence-based National Diabetes Prevention Program, which includes an evidence-based lifestyle intervention that has been proven to help patients prevent or delay the onset of diabetes.
Get more information at AMA Wire® about National Diabetes Month and ways you can help your patients take action to prevent diabetes, including learning how to determine whether they have prediabetes.
What are your best tips for patients during the holidays? Tell us in the comments below at AMA Wire or on the AMA’s Facebook page.
