[For partners: Template feature article to customize for distribution]
This National Diabetes Month, Make a Change to Live Well:
The NDEP and [Insert Name of Organization]Can Help You TakeSmall Steps for Better Health
Living with diabetes or knowing you are at risk is not easy. It’s common to feel overwhelmed, sad or angry – especially if you are struggling to makepositive lifestyle changes that just don’t seem to stick for very long.
Even if you know what to do to improve your health, it is figuring outhowto doit and fitting it into your daily routine that can present the biggest challenges.
This November, in observance of National Diabetes Month, the National Diabetes Education Program (NDEP) and [insert name of organization] are Changing the Way Diabetes is Treated by providing tools to help people make a plan to stay healthy and provide tools and resources to help people take important steps to reach their health goals.
Making changes step by step – such as losing a small amount of weight and becoming more active – can go a long way toward helping youprevent or delay type 2 diabetes. Losing even 10 to 15 pounds – if you weigh 200 pounds – can make a big difference in helping you prevent type 2 diabetes. If you have diabetes, making similar types of changes can help you reach your blood sugar (glucose) and blood pressure goals to prevent diabetes-related health problems.
Getting Started
So how do you get started making changes in how you care for your health? It’s all a matter of trying and learning. It’s about choosing a goal and working toward it. Making a plan and taking the first step will help you reach your goal.
The NDEP’s Make A Plan tool can help you think about what is important to your health and what you are willing and able to do so you can break down your goals into small, achievable steps.
Once you have your plan in place, the NDEP can provide you with a number of tools to help you meet your health goal. Whether you are looking to eat healthier, be more active, manage your weight, cope better with stress and emotions, or stop smoking, you can find tools to help.
This November, make a change to live well at
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ National Diabetes Education Program is jointly sponsored by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) with the support of more than 200 partner organizations.