MEETING NOTES

Posted by Beth North 
on Jan 14, 2016
 
Wednesday’s program on The State of Diabetes was introduced by Hugh Johnson, and continues on the January theme of Health & Wellness, and spotlights Rotary’s own Dan Asleson, President and CEO of YMCA of Michiana.  Since May of 2010, Dan has worked with staff and volunteers to strengthen the foundations of our community through youth programs at Urban Youth Services and YMCA Camp Eberhart, as well as through youth and family programming at the Michiana Family YMCA.  A graduate of Augustana College in Rock Island, IL, Dan earned his MBA from ND.  Dan is also the grandson of a person with diabetes. 
Some very sobering statistics about diabetes were shared, as our area, as well as the state of Indiana has even higher rates of diabetes prevalence than the rest of the country
(http://gis.cdc.gov/grasp/diabetes/DiabetesAtlas.html).  The economic reality of the cost of care for those with diabetes versus those without diabetes, coupled with the growing prevalence, if not interrupted, will ultimately result in the US GDP being outpaced by the cost of care for its increasingly old and increasingly diabetic population.  One would need to win the Powerball drawing 175 times in order to pay the cost of diabetes for the US for one year. 
It’s time for intervention to change the trajectory of prevalence and to focus on prevention – as a nation, we must begin eating in a more healthy way and reducing the time we spend sitting.  Dan urges both an individual AND a corporate approach.He endorses a national government approach, much like the smoking cessation campaign.  Without government intervention, Dan asserts that corporate food producers will not be motivated to change.
1. Know your numbers (fasting or random blood glucose, A1C(a measure of longer term     
    blood glucose) and your weight.)
2. Encourage your employees to know their numbers
3. Lose 10 pounds – make changes in your eating habits.
4. Walk every day – make changes in your exercise habits.
 
Otherwise, we’ll leave a big mess for the next generations to clean up.