American Diabetes Month
Great American Smokeout
American Diabetes Month: American Diabetes Association
Type 2 diabetes is the most common form of diabetes. In type 2 diabetes, either the body does not produce enough insulin or the cells ignore the insulin. Insulin is necessary for the body to be able to use sugar.
There are 20.8 million children and adults in the United States with diabetes - and more than one-third of them don't know it (about 6.2 million people).
One way to guard against type 2 diabetes is to know your risk factors. You may be at risk if you:
- Are overweight
- Don't get enough exercise
- Have a parent or sibling with diabetes
- Are 65 years of age and get little or no exercise
- Are a woman who has had a baby weighing more than nine pounds at birth
Source: American Diabetes Association
Want to be the healthy type? Regular exercise, good nutrition and weight control are a smart approach whether you've been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes or want to prevent it. Visit Blue Access for Members and receive additional preventive or diabetes management tips from the Personal Health Manager's "Ask A Nurse" feature.
Great American Smokeout: American Cancer Society
Since Nov. 16, 2006, the day of the annual "Great American Smokeout," HCSC has been proud to provide a smoke-free workplace.
You can be smoke-free and stay that way. Benefits of quitting:
- Healthier lungs and reduced risk of heart disease and certain cancers
- Increased fertility and lowered risk of miscarriage
- Stronger sense of taste and smell
Quick tips on saying good-bye to smoking:
- Talk to someone who supports your decision to quit.
- If withdrawal causes irritability, try using relaxation techniques, exercising regularly and avoiding stressful situations.
- Fight possible insomnia by avoiding caffeine or other stimulants, and by having a relaxing bedtime routine.
- Wait out cravings and use distractions.
- If your appetite increases, eat healthy snacks and drink more water.
- Develop strategies to avoid triggers that tempt you to smoke, and then develop alternatives.
If you need support and guidance to quit smoking or lose unwanted weight, BCBSTX offers both online and telephonic tobacco cessation and weight-loss programs as part of your HealthSelect coverage.
While in the Personal Health Manager, you can enroll in a self-paced online tobacco cessation or weight loss program that will allow you to track your progress, read articles and ask questions. Using either program will also earn you BluePoints!
If you are interested in a program that provides you a personal coach, you can enroll in a Lifestyle Management (tobacco cessation and weight-loss) program by calling BCBSTX at (800) 462-3275. Once enrolled, you will be assigned a dedicated telephone coach who will set goals with you, track your progress and help you on your journey to better health.
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