Breaking Through Barriers In Diabetes Management

Breaking Through The Barriers In Diabetes Management

The last decade of improvements in diabetes management has meant major breakthroughs in how people with diabetes can eat and live.

The 60th Anniversary New Zealand Dietetic Association (NZDA) conference in Rotorua this week will focus on the breakthroughs and explore how the risks of long term complications can be significantly reduced with good management practices, including appropriate eating habits.

Janelle Wallace, Dietitian and Convenor for the 2003 conference says adequate advice and support is needed for those who live with diabetes.

“The incidence of diabetes is rising, and although we need to reduce the incidence, the fact remains there are thousands of people in New Zealand who are living with diabetes. These people need appropriate advice and support to enable them to live as healthy and normal life as possible. Good management can improve the prospect of a normal and healthy life,” says Janelle.

Complications of diabetes can include problems such as renal failure, deterioration of eye-site and circulatory problems.

Today, with more information on how the body metabolises foods, product content information and a wider range of ready to eat foods suitable for people with diabetes more New Zealanders should be following eating patterns to help reduce the risk of diabetes.

The conference will host a number of international and national speakers including: Keynote speaker Dr Andrew Farquhar from Canada, a GP and athlete, who has lived with diabetes for 45 years, speaking on Intensive management of Type 1 diabetes in adults and The role of exercise in diabetes management. Dr Simon Denny from Kidz First Centre for Youth Health speaking on Overweight adolescents in New Zealand. Too much of the good life? Patricia Cameron-Hill and Shayne Yates from Australia, the authors of “You Won’t Die Laughing” a book about dealing with stress through laughter.

The conference is being held at the Millennium Hotel in Rotorua from 4 – 5 September, and is organised by the Waikato Branch of the NZDA.

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