January 31, 2012                                                                                

Start the Year off Right! A Free Series on Healthy Lifestyles

Cornell University Cooperative Extension of Suffolk County and Suffolk County Department of Health Services Schedule Diabetes Self-Management Education Series

Classes to enable persons with diabetes (or their caretakers) to manage their disease will be held at:

South Brookhaven Family Health Center, West

365 East Main Street, Patchogue, NY 11772

On

Thursday Evenings in March, 5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.

(March 1^st, March 8^th, March 15^th, and March 22^nd)

and

Maxine S. Postal Tri-Community Health Center

1080 Sunrise Highway, Amityville, NY 11701

On

Tuesday Afternoons in March, 2:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.

(March 6^th, March 13^th, March 20^th, and March 27^th)

and

Wyandanch Public Library

14 South 20^th Street, Wyandanch, NY 11798

On

Thursday Evenings, 5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.

(March 22^nd, March 29^th, April 5^th, and April 12^th)

To register for any of these sessions, call Laurie Wells at (631) 727-7850 ext. 340.  Classes are open to all community residents and there is no charge to attend.  Seating is limited, however, and registration is required. 

Diabetes affects nearly 26 million people – 8.3 percent of the U.S. population.  More than 18 million people have been diagnosed with diabetes and it is estimated that seven million people have diabetes and don’t know it.  Diabetes is the leading cause of kidney failure, non-traumatic lower limb amputations, new cases of blindness among adults and a major cause of heart disease and stroke and the seventh leading cause of death in the U.S.   Overall the risk for death among people with diabetes is about twice that of people of similar age without diabetes.  These statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention illustrate the pressing need for diabetic and pre-diabetic persons (35 percent of adults aged 20 and older) to educate themselves and embrace healthy lifestyles. 

The classes offered will provide tips for keeping blood sugar in target range, choosing healthful meals and balancing food, exercise and medications.  Groups will discuss medications and ways to help them work more effectively.  The goal is to give diabetic persons the knowledge and tools to allow them to live happier and healthier lives. 

Call Laurie Wells at (631) 727-7850 x 340 to register for this beneficial program.  Learn how to cope with stress, find resources in your community and care for yourself from head to toe.

CONTACT: Grace Kelly-McGovern

631-853-3009