November is American Diabetes Month

• Consult with your primary care about your overall health, activity level and blood sugar levels.

• Talk to your child's pediatrician about your child's health, BMI, and risk factors for diabetes

• Make small changes to your family habits- here's some tips on setting manageable healthy goals with kids

• Learn about BMI Body Mass Index guide for parents

• If nutrition, planning balanced meals or your child's nutrition is a concern or an obstacle consider a consult with a registered dietitian.

• If the availability or cost of healthy food is an issue locate a food bank or see if you qualify for SNAP

• Learn about the new USDA Nutrition Guidelines - we havefun printables that teach My Plate for the whole family

• Be aware of  food claims - print our handy food claims guide PDF

• See our healthy eating guide for facts on the food groups

• Try going Meatless with your family every Monday- Meatless Monday has great tips and recipes

• Managing portion size is an important strategy to eating healthy- here's our portion control tips andcheck out this portion dinnerware to make it easier.

• For parents concerned about their child's weight we have a guide with steps to take to help your child.

• Try to be active yourself and encourage kids are active everyday - physical activity is an important part of diabetes prevention. The Joslin Diabetes also shares some easy ways to fit physical activity into your busy day.

• Our website provides fun interactive tools and games to help kids learn nutrition and that it's fun to make healthy choices.

Important Diabetes Facts and Resources :

"With nearly 26 million children and adults in American living with diabetes, and another 79 million at high risk for developing type 2 diabetes, the disease is taking a devastating physical, emotional and financial toll.

Recent numbers by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention paint a desperate situation of where we are at, and where we are headed:

• Every 17 seconds, someone is diagnosed with diabetes.
• Diabetes kills more people each year than breast cancer and AIDS combined.
• Recent estimates project that as many as 1 in 3 American adults will have diabetes in 2050 unless we take steps to Stop Diabetes.

Here are other ways you can become involved:

1. Attend an American Diabetes Month event in your area
2. Visit www.stopdiabetes.com
3. Call 1-800-DIABETES
4. Text JOIN to 69866 (standard data and message rates apply) Source:   www.diabetes.org