Free 'Pre-Diabetes' Screenings Offered At The Diabetes Expo
DENVER (CBS4) - This Saturday there will be free "pre-diabetes" screenings at the Diabetes Expo at the Colorado Convention Center.
That screening made a difference for one woman.
"I went to the doctor because my toes were numb, and that scared me," Mary said.
Mary's doctor told her she had pre-diabetes.
"When she told me, it was like, 'wow.' " she said.
Unless she made some changes, she would get diabetes. One change was attending a diabetes prevention class at work. The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment is offering the class to its employees because in Colorado one in three people have pre-diabetes.
"So if you are standing in a grocery line, the person in front of you, the person behind you, or yourself, one of you have pre-diabetes," Michelle Hansen with the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment said.
By losing five to seven percent of body fat, eating healthier foods and exercising more, diabetes can be prevented.
"The steps are not herculean; these are small steps that anyone can achieve over time," class instructor Katherine Isacks said.
Mary decided small steps weren't good enough.
"I've lost 43 pounds so far and I'm looking to lose some more," she said.
She recommends everyone get screened.
"If I wasn't screened at that time who knows where I would have been," Mary said. "I wouldn't have seen grandkids, wouldn't have seen my kids grow up and where they ended."
Get a series of free health screenings at the Diabetes Expo. Those who are found to be pre-diabetic can help get help finding a diabetes prevention class to attend. The free event is this Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Colorado Convention Center.
LINK: Diabetes Expo
