Milton, Fla.—The Florida Department of Health in Santa Rosa County (DOH Santa Rosa) recognizes November as Diabetes Awareness Month, a month set aside every year to raise awareness about diabetes and promote the importance of taking steps to confront diabetes as a critical health issue. Healthy living is an ongoing journey – one that’s important to keep you energized for the things that matter most. Celebrate the people and activities you love by prioritizing healthy habits to keep living your best life.   

In the United States 88 million adults have a condition called prediabetes. This means a person’s blood sugar levels are higher than normal, but not yet high enough to be considered type 2 diabetes. While prediabetes can be reversible, type 2 diabetes cannot, and it can lead to increased risk for other serious health problems like heart attack, blindness, and kidney failure.  

The National Diabetes Prevention Program (NDPP) is recognized by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as an evidence-based solution to lower the risk, delay, or prevent people with prediabetes from developing type 2 diabetes. DOH Santa Rosa offers Prevent T2, a proven program to prevent or delay type 2 diabetes through lifestyle coaches whose goal is to help you enhance your life with healthy habits that work for you. 

Prevent T2 can help you with the following:  

• Eat healthier – Eating a balance of healthy foods is one of the biggest factors in losing weight and having better health overall. Small swaps like switching out starchy vegetables such as potatoes for leafy greens in a salad can make a big impact. You’ll also learn how reducing portion sizes lets you enjoy some of your favorite foods while limiting unhealthy amounts of salt, fat, and sugar.
  
• Get more physical activity – Learn ways to move more that you’ll actually enjoy! You don’t have to run for miles or spend hours in the gym to be active. Something as simple as a walking with a friend or your partner or dancing to some music while doing household chores can improve your health and energy.
  
• Manage stress – Stress affects your health in many ways and learning to reduce stress can help prevent type 2 diabetes. Getting 8 hours of sleep each night and taking short breaks at work are examples of stress management methods that make a difference for your health. 

The lifestyle change program provides practical tips that are proven to work, you’ll develop habits that will last long after the program is done. By losing 5-7% of your body weight (10-14 pounds for a 200-pound adult) and adding 150 minutes of weekly physical activity to your routine, you can cut your risk for type 2 diabetes in half!  Instead of taking away from what you enjoy doing or how you spend your time, we can help.  

Additional information is available online at DOH Santa Rosa Diabetes Prevention.  Please call 850-564-2251 to reserve a spot in Prevent T2. We are here to support you on your health journey, so you do not have to do it alone. Call today to find a community working to prevent or delay type 2 diabetes so you can keep celebrating the life you love all year long.  

For more information about the National Diabetes Prevention Program, visit  https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/prevention/index.html 

To learn more about diabetes prevention and self-management, visit www.floridahealth.gov/diabetes  

For more information about National Diabetes Month, visit the National Diabetes Month 2021 Toolkit.

About the Florida Department of Health 

The department, nationally accredited by the Public Health Accreditation Board, works to protect, promote and improve the health of all people in Florida through integrated state, county and community efforts. 

Follow us on Facebook,Instagram and Twitter at @HealthyFla. For more information about the Florida Department of Health, please visit www.FloridaHealth.gov. 

Public Information Office
Florida Department of Health
Santa Rosa County
PIO.CHD57@flhealth.gov

Florida Health: The first accredited public health system in the U.S. 

​Mission: To protect, promote & improve the health of all people in Florida through integrated state, county & community efforts. 

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