Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 30, Number 3, 1 March 2013 — BATTLING DIABETES, ONE STEP AT A TIME [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

BATTLING DIABETES, ONE STEP AT A TIME

By Sarah Paeheeo

There's no sugarcoating the fact that diabetes is among the most serious and potentially deadly diseases in the U.S. The American Diabetes Association estimates that close to 26 million Americans have diabetes, and more than 79 million adults over the age of 20 are pre-dia-betic. Here in Hawai'i, roughly 8.5 percent of the populahon has diabetes. That translates to more than 113,000 people - our mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, aunties, uncles, friends, neighbors, eoworkers, the list goes on - living with this disease.

Of that number,

those of Nativ H a w a i i a n , Filipino and Japanese ancestry j are at a higher risk ' of developing diabetes. In fact, there are currently more than 20,000 Native Hawaiians whe

have diabetes. Also consider that of the 113,000 people in Hawai'i who have diabetes, 28,000 are undiagnosed - meaning they aren't getting the treatment they need -

I and, well, the numbers [ aren't so sweet. According to [ Hawai'i's ADA exec- ' utive director Leslie r Lam, if trends continue, one out of three children

born in the U.S. in 2000 will likely develop type 2 diabetes at some point in their lives. In Hawai'i, the odds are closer to one in every two children, XI DIABETES ON PAGE 12

Step Out: Walk to Stop Diabetes When: 8 a.m., March 16 Where: Kapi'olani Park Registration: eall ADA at (808) 947-5979 or visit diabetes.org/stepouthawaii. Fee: There is no cost to register, but all monetary contributions, bigorsmall, are appreciated. All funds raised from the Step 0ut Walk stay in Hawai'i to provide diabetes education and information to individuals and families via advocacy advancements, increased research and support services such as the "Stop Diabetes at Work" program designed to detect, prevent and manage diabetes for a healthy work environment.

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"Red Striders," Step Out walk participants who have type 1, type 2 or gestational diabeL tes, will be distinguishable & by their red caps. - CourB tesy: ADA Hawai'i

DIABETES

Continued from page 6

or 50 percent of our future loeal population. To make sure our future has a better outlook, ADA created the Step Out: Walk to Stop Diabetes one-day fundraising and awareness walk. Here's the good news: • Since its inception more than 20 years ago, the ADA's signature nationwide event has raised more than $150 million toward stopping diabetes. • Last year alone more than 150,000 participants from more than 130 walk events across the country banded together to raise more than $20 million. • This year, ADA Hawai'i hopes to raise $550,000 for loeal programs and research. The brisk 2.3-mile walk around Queen Kapi'olani Park begins at 8 a.m. Saturday, March 16, and is expected to end around 11 a.m.

Registration opens at 7 a.m. In addition to the camaraderie of walking shoulder-to-shoulder with thousands of others (Lam expects 3,500 walkers at this year's event), participants ean enjoy live loeal entertainment, refreshments and a

keiki tent with exciting games. There also will be an information fair with a variety of vendors dispensing key facts and information about diabetes. The Office of Hawaiian Affairs is a proud sponsor of the Step Out walk.

"You see a lot of people in the Hawaiian community who suffer diabetes, and they wait so long to get help sometimes," says Dayna Pa, who is Hawaiian-Japanese and was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes in 2004 after a routine doctor visit. "There's a whole lot of eomplieations that ean eome from the disease," Pa adds, "like with your eyesight or your feet. You ean lose sensitivity in your limbs, and if complications arise, you ean lose your limbs, so it's good to be aware of all that." Pa, an aide to OHA Chairperson Colette Machado, has attended previous Step Out walks and plans to participate in this year's event with family and co-workers. You'll be able to spot Pa and other "Red Striders" (children and adults who

have type 1, type 2 or gestational diabetes) throughout the walk simply by looking for their distinguishing red caps. "My doctor always tells me to just get out there and walk, so this is a good excuse to get some exercise, get out there in the community and support something that really helps a good cause," Pa says. To learn more about the loeal chapter of the ADA, including ways to find out if you're at risk for developing diabetes or to volunteer, visit diabetes.org/ in-my-community/local-offices/ honolulu-hawaii. ■ Sarah Paeheeo, an O 'ahu-based freeīance writer, is aformer assistant regionaī editorfor MidWeek

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Team OHA, led by OHA Chairperson Colefte Machado, bottom right, and CE0 Kamana'opono Crabbe, second from left in back, participated in the 201 2 Step Out: Walk to Stop Diabetes. OHA is a longtime sponsor of the walk, whieh raises awareness of the chronic disease that affects Native Hawaiians, Filipinos and Japanese at a higher rate than other ethnicities.