Diabetes Prevention & Healthy Living

While genetics and other factors play important roles in the development of Type 2 diabetes, you can take several steps to positively influence your health and prevent or delay the onset of diabetes.

You Have the Power to Stop Diabetes

Visit with the experts at OU Health Hamm Diabetes Center in Oklahoma City and Tulsa for extensive information and services related to diabetes prevention and healthy living. Learn what you need to know about diabetes so you can continue to live the life you love.

You don’t have to knock yourself out to prevent diabetes. Success involves just three steps:

• Get at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity five days a week.
• Eat a variety of foods that are low in fat and added sugar.
• Reduce the number of calories you consume each day if you are overweight.

When you take action like this to prevent diabetes, you also lower your risk for possible complications of diabetes such as heart disease, stroke, kidney disease, blindness, nerve damage and other health problems.

Take Action for Prevention & Early Detection

Start now to find out about your risk for diabetes and explore our Prevent T2 program that can help you and your community cut your diabetes risk by more than half. As many as one-third of people with Type 2 diabetes don’t know they have the condition, often because they don’t experience any obvious symptoms.

The American Diabetes Association recommends diabetes screening every three years beginning at age 45, especially for people facing issues of overweight or obesity. If your health status includes several risk factors, get regular screenings more often and start at an earlier age. Regular checkups with your primary care doctor can help you stay healthy and prevent disease.

Free Community Screenings

Find out where you can participate in one of Harold Hamm Diabetes Center’s free community screenings near you. Scheduled several times each year, our free diabetes screenings help you know if you need to see your doctor about additional testing. During a screening, you can also get the advice you need to take charge of your health.

For information on our next community screening, call 405-271-7000.

Workplace Wellness

You’re probably like a lot of your family and friends—spending nearly all of your days at work. That means, your health status and your work status go hand in hand. In fact, the cost of diagnosed and undiagnosed diabetes in the U.S. totals $289 billion. And for employees who are overweight with a chronic condition such as diabetes, missed-work days across the nation’s economy amount to 450 million.

That’s why a healthy environment in the workplace creates positive benefits for all aspects of your life. Talk with your business or company about a comprehensive workplace health initiative that can include screenings, activities and other resources designed to help you and your coworkers live more healthfully. Start reducing health insurance costs, missed-work days and downtime that negatively affects everyone’s productivity and well-being.

If You Already Have Diabetes…

You can still prevent complications by participating in a variety of opportunities from the Diabetes Center, including

• Adult diabetes support group, a free option where you’ll meet others who share similar experiences; held several times each year at our flagship center in Oklahoma City
• Healthy eating and cooking classes, provided at no cost to you
• Diabetes self-management education (DSME) program; requires doctor referral—and we can help you get referred
• Gestational diabetes management education through OU Health’s Women’s & Newborn Center
• Podiatry and wound care for your feet and lower legs to avoid complications
• Potential participation in diabetes clinical trials at no cost to you through Harold Hamm Diabetes Center in Oklahoma City and Tulsa

Request a Referral for Diabetes Self-Management Program

Ask your primary care doctor for a referral to enroll in the Diabetes Self-Management Education and Support (DSMES) program at OU Health Harold Hamm Diabetes Center.

Get help with your referral from our staff – call 405-271-1000. Or download and complete the referral form [pdf] and bring it to your appointment at the address shown on the form.