Workshop stresses prevention

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Stay away from fast food, it'll do your body good.

That was one of the many messages given at the Diabetes Awareness and Prevention Workshop held Nov. 6 and 7 at the Edmonton Canadian Native Friendship Centre.

"The big message we want to give is diabetes can be managed," said event organizer Carrielynn Lamouche.

The event, sponsored by the Metis Nation of Alberta (MNA), was the official launch of a new pamphlet and video designed to educate the Canadian Native population about the disease and what can be done to prevent or manage it.

The pamphlet defines diabetes as "a disease where your body cannot properly store and use fuel for energy."

One in 13 Canadians can expect to develop diabetes. The odds of escaping the disease are even worse among the Metis population.

"Diabetes in the Metis community touches every household," said Lamouche of the MNA. "Everyone knows someone in their family that has it or has passed away from diabetes-related complications."

Those complications often are serious, including adult blindness, kidney disease, amputations and double the risk of heart attack and stroke.

Though its severity is well documented, the workshop only attracted a small crowd. But the organizers were not surprised or disappointed, reporting engaging interaction with those in attendance.

Lamouche hopes to get the educational video, funded by Health Canada, into as many hands as possible and she is willing to sell it for reproduction costs.

Edmonton producer Murray Jurak created the 15-minute video to appeal to everyone from elementary students to adults. It is an up-beat presentation of the testimonials of people living with diabetes punctuated with explanations of the disease.

The video exudes a feeling of hope. It lists things viewers can do to prevent the disease - exercise, careful food choices and high water consumption. It also touches on ways to monitor blood sugar levels and stay healthy if someone already has contracted diabetes.

Jurak said he enjoyed educating himself on diabetes, a subject he had only scant knowledge of prior to the filming.

"Some people are scared (of diabetes), but they shouldn't be," said Jurak. "If we can get that across then we've done our job."

Lamouche said she is taking the two-day workshop to each of the six Metis zones in Alberta.

For more information or to buy pamphlets or videos for your school or family, contact your local Metis zone office or the Metis Nation of Alberta.