Tanner News

Struggling with ongoing symptoms of diabetes? Uncertain about what a diet looks like for a person with diabetes? Want to learn how to work with your physician in developing the best treatment plan for you?

Tanner Health System’s Get Healthy, Live Well offers a free, six-session Living Well With Diabetes workshop to help participants manage diabetes. The next class series will begin Friday, Feb. 16, from 10 a.m. to noon at Tabernacle Baptist Church in Carrollton. 

Living Well with Diabetes, which was developed at Stanford University, teaches participants about what diabetes means for their bodies. Group support and camaraderie are also important parts of the program.

The classes explore various treatment options while also discussing how to live a healthy and active lifestyle. Other topics covered include exercise, techniques to deal with symptoms, appropriate use of medications and working more effectively with healthcare providers. Participants make weekly action plans, share experiences and help each other solve problems they encounter while carrying out their self-management plans.

A study found that people who participated in the Living Well with Diabetes program reduced their A1C levels — the measure of a person's average blood glucose level over the last two to three months. The study also found that participants reduced their rates of hyperglycemia and hypoglycemia.

Other results include a reduction of medication, enhanced physical fitness and weight loss. For people with type 2 diabetes, losing just 10 percent of their body weight can cut blood sugar levels by half. Participants also had significant improvements in healthy eating, reading food labels, depression and communicating with physicians.  

Get Healthy, Live Well’s Living Well with Diabetes program is available to anyone who has received a clinical diagnosis of diabetes. Class size is limited, so register early. Register online at tanner.org/livingwell for an upcoming class or call 770.214.CARE.