November is Diabetes Awareness Month
Each year in November, the American Diabetes Association observes Diabetes Awareness Month to bring attention to diabetes and its impact on Americans.
For employers, it’s a time to get educated, promote workplace policies that help prevent and manage diabetes, and make sure employees are aware of their risks.
An estimated 34.2 million people in the US have diabetes. This means more than 1 in 10 American workers is affected. In addition, approximately 1 in 3 American adults have prediabetes — meaning they are at risk of developing the disease.
Diabetes not only affects the health of individuals, but it also costs companies billions of dollars every year in medical care and lost productivity — which is why American Diabetes Month should be on every employer’s radar.
What is diabetes?
Diabetes is a condition that affects how your body uses glucose. Glucose is a type of sugar you get from the food you eat, and it’s an important source of energy for your body. Diabetes can lead to having too much sugar in your blood, which can cause serious health problems.
There are several different types of diabetes, including:
- Type 2 diabetes: This is the most common form of chronic diabetes, and it happens when the body doesn’t use insulin properly. Some people may be able to control type 2 diabetes with diet and exercise, while others may need to take insulin.
- Type 1 diabetes: This type occurs when the body does not produce insulin — a hormone that the body needs to get glucose from the bloodstream into the body’s cells. People with type 1 diabetes require insulin and other medications to control their blood sugar.
- Gestational diabetes: This type can develop during pregnancy in women who don’t already have diabetes. It usually goes away after pregnancy.
- Prediabetes: Prediabetes means you have a higher than normal blood sugar level. People with prediabetes are more likely to develop type 2 diabetes in the future.
How does diabetes affect the body?
Diabetes can affect the body in many different ways. Some of the symptoms of diabetes include:
- Increased thirst
- Dry mouth
- Frequent need to urinate
- Fatigue
- Increased hunger
- Blurred vision
If not managed properly, diabetes can also have many long-term health effects including high blood pressure, heart disease, kidney damage, nerve damage, and stroke. People with diabetes are also more likely to have serious complications from COVID-19.
Diabetes and the workplace
Diabetes generally doesn’t affect a person’s ability to do their job. In fact, you may never even know that an employee has diabetes.
However, people with diabetes may miss work due to their symptoms. According to a 2019 survey, people with type 1 diabetes lost nearly a quarter (23%) of their work productivity due to diabetes. People with type 2 diabetes on insulin lost 19%.
The cost of care for diabetes, along with this lost productivity, is expensive for employers. Studies place the direct costs of hospitalization, medical care, treatment and supplies at $237 billion. In addition, the cost of increased absenteeism, lost productivity, and inability to work due to disease-related disability totaled $90 billion.
Helping employees prevent and manage diabetes will not only improve their health, but the health of your business. With that in mind, here are 10 ways to participate in Diabetes Awareness Month.
Diabetes Awareness Month Ideas 2021
- Share diabetes prevention and management information in your company newsletter. The American Diabetes Association’s website, diabetes.org, has resources to get you started.
- Learn first aid for diabetic emergencies including hyperglycemia (high blood sugar) and hypoglycemia (low blood sugar).
- Remind employees of their right to accommodations - for example, allowing breaks to test blood sugar levels or administer insulin injections.
- Train managers and supervisors about accommodations for diabetic employees.
- Educate employees on the importance of stress management. Job-related stress can make managing diabetes difficult, and increase the risk of developing the disease in people who don’t already have diabetes.
- Host a lunch and learn with healthy foods. Invite a doctor or dietitian to come and speak with your employees about diabetes prevention and management.
- Provide healthy food options in the cafeteria or breakroom.
- Raffle off healthy prizes like pedometers or fitness watches, gym memberships, duffel bags, sport bottles, and lunch cooler bags.
- Encourage employees to wear blue, the official color for diabetes awareness, on November 14 — World Diabetes Day.
- Share a diabetes risk assessment quiz with your employees. This one from the American Diabetes Association only takes 60 seconds to fill out: https://www.diabetes.org/risk-test.
Next Steps: Download the Free Safety Calendar
Participating in Diabetes Awareness Month is an important step toward a healthier workplace all year round. For more ideas, download Perillon's free annual safety calendar.