FSIN Teams Up With Diabetes Association

FSIN Teams Up With Diabetes Association

Monday, November 01, 2010 at 14:32

The Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations and Canadian Diabetes Association are partnering to raise awareness about the disease.

They made the announcement this morning to kick off Diabetes Awareness Month.

FSIN staff members did diabetes risk assessment tests, which included a glucose test, waist measurement and blood pressure test to find out what risk they have of getting diabetes.

Elder Maria Linklater already knows she has diabetes, and says it has greatly impacted her life.

Linklater says she always has to take food with her whenever she travels, because restaurant food affects her blood sugar levels and her blood pressure.

Nearly one in 14 people in Saskatchewan have diabetes, which is roughly 70,000 people — and First Nations people are three to five times more likely than the overall population to develop Type 2 diabetes.