The Tribune

By ALESHA CADET

Tribune Features Reporter

acadet@tribunemedia.net

JOINING FORCES, the New Providence Community Centre (NPCC) and Club One Fitness Centre staged a fitness event Saturday to help create awareness for diabetes.

“Move and Groove: Dance for Diabetes” gathered over eighty adults and children, who exercised and learned important facts about diabetes.

Dr Graham Cates, organisers and member of the health and wellness ministry at NPCC, said dancing is a great way to get in shape, have fun and meet other people. “In fact people had such a great time that they didn’t want to leave. Many wanted us to do it again next week,” he told Tribune Health.

As the day went on, the event included a Zumba Hip Hop session with Lorrinda Maura of Yodephy, Salsa with Ellen Key, Street Jazz with Jennifer Roach of the Kaleidoscope Dance Cooperative, a Fitness Party with Dianne Gibson of Club One and a Soca session with Junkanoo Comby of Club One.

Local recording artist Julien Thompson and the Juice Unit dancers also played a part in the entertainment for the day.

Speaking about how the event helped in promoting awareness for diabetes, Dr Cates said both adults and children became aware that exercising can be fun; it can be done as a family, with friends and it gave them the opportunity to meet new like minded people.

“The incidence of diabetes continues to grow at alarming rates throughout the world. The Bahamas is no exception. Regular exercise can help prevent diabetes, plus it is an important part of diabetes self care management. People were asked to wear a blue circular ribbon at the event. They were also asked to wear the same ribbon on world diabetes day, November 14,” said Dr Cates.

Diabetes affects the young and the old, said Dr Cates. He said worldwide persons are seeing more and more children and adults with both type one and type two diabetes.

With the majority of diabetes commercials on television said to focus mainly on elderly people with diabetes, Dr Cates said public service announcements and advertisements should depict people of all ages and all races.

“Type two diabetes can be prevented through weight loss, eating healthily and exercise. People who have type one and type two diabetes can learn how to manage their diabetes and not suffer the complications associated with diabetes. People with diabetes can choose to live a healthy long life, if they know how to manage the condition,” said Dr Cates.

He said sadly long term uncontrolled diabetes can have devastating consequences, such as blindness, lower limb amputations, kidney failure, heart attacks and strokes and these are just some of the complications. The good news however, is that diabetes can be managed through diet, exercise, oral medications and insulin.

“A person who manages their diabetes is significantly less likely to suffer from complications,” he said.

Dr Cates said the best way to see if you are at risk of diabetes is to go and see your doctor. He said your physician will check your personal and family history and check your fasting blood glucose level to find out if you are at risk of developing diabetes or whether you have the condition.

“Even if you do not have a family history of diabetes you may still be at risk,” he said.

Dr Cates said one of the core values of NPCC is health and fitness. He said members of the church feel it is important to have community wide events like this one for the entire family to become more physically active.

“Club One is active within the community helping people to be healthier and NPCC has collaborated with them on health and wellness events in the past. Club One is always willing to assist. Their assistant manager Dianne Gibson is passionate about diabetes and jumped at this opportunity to be a part of the event,” said Dr Cates.