According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), approximately 1 out of 11 people in the U.S. have diabetes, and 1 out of 3 people have prediabetes. And of the adults living with diabetes, nearly 1 in 4 didn’t even know they had the condition.

Diabetes is a serious disease that can cause heart attack, stroke, blindness, kidney failure, or loss of feet or legs. Prediabetes means your blood glucose (sugar) is higher than normal, but not yet diabetes. However, if not caught early or controlled, 15 to 30 percent of people with prediabetes will develop Type 2 diabetes within five years.

The good news is Type 2 diabetes can be delayed or prevented in people with prediabetes through effective lifestyle programs. “With modest lifestyle changes – including healthy eating and increased physical activity – men and women can decrease the likelihood of developing Type 2 diabetes,” said Dr. Vishal Bhatia, Endocrinologist, St. Vincent Medical Group.

Risk factors for diabetes:

• Being overweight
• Having a parent or sibling who has Type 2 diabetes
• Lack of physical activity (fewer than three times per week)
• Some ethnic groups are at a higher risk for Type 2 diabetes

Test your risk:

The CDC’s Online Prediabetes Screening Test is a short, seven-question quiz that allows individuals to see if they might be at risk for prediabetes. To get an official diagnosis as to whether one may have prediabetes or diabetes, individuals should see their healthcare provider. Ascension sites across the United States are participating in the CDC’s National Diabetes Prevention Program, which seeks to empower individuals in the community to understand the risks of and be screened for prediabetes and diabetes.

To speak with a physician at St. Vincent about the risks and screening options for prediabetes and diabetes, please contact me at 812-485-4897.

Pros, Cons & Effects of Social Media

To be held Tuesday, January 22nd, 6:00 – 8:00 pm

Crossroads Christian Church Chapel, 10800 Lincoln Ave., Newburgh, IN

Youth First, Inc., Warrick County Cares, and Evansville Christian Schools (ECS) are joining to begin a discussion about the pros, cons and effects of social media on our children and youth.  According to the Pew Research Center, in 2018, 95 percent of teens report they have a smartphone or access to one and 45 percent say they are online “almost constantly.”

Moderator Gretchen Muchnick, (ECS School Board Member, FC Tucker Emge Realty VP of Marketing, & WFIE News Personality), will guide apanel of local experts to provide insight to parents, youth workers and other adults who want to know how social media and screen time are impacting our children and teens.

Panelists:

• • David McClary, ECS Campus Principal (grades 8 – 11)
  • Mark Wickersham, ECS Campus Principal (grades 6 – 7)
  • Officer Dale Naylor, Warrick County Reserve Deputy Officer
  • Laura Keys, Youth First Director of Social Work
  • Dr. James Schroeder, VP of Psychology, Evansville Easterseals Rehabilitation Center
  • ECS Students – Kira Johnson, Junior, and Berkeley Neikirk, Sophomore

Tonight, 5:15 p.m.

Ivy Tech Vectren Auditorium (room 147), 3501 N First Avenue in Evansville

Mark King, Early College faculty member, will be the featured speaker. King is the father of Olympic Swimmer and Gold Medalist Lilly King. In his presentation, “Raising an Olympian” he will share some of the ways he and his wife, Ginny, help their children reach their goals. “I will touch on specific decisions that we made that allowed Lilly, and my son, Alex, the freedom to chase their dreams,” King said. He also indicated there will be many stories about Lilly’s pursuit of Olympic Gold.

Evansville Vanderburgh School Corporation’s Early College High School is located at Ivy Tech Community College, and its students attend Ivy Tech classes, along with regular high school coursework – many completing an Associate Degree while still in high school, or their General Education Core — 30 credits transferable to any college in Indiana.