LIFE! Taking Action on Diabetes

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Introduction

Diabetes is a serious disease that affects about 1.5 million Australians and currently there is no cure. It is the fastest growing chronic disease in Australia.

There are two main types of diabetes – type 1 and type 2. Type 1 is not related to lifestyle factors, while a person’s risk of type 2 increases the more overweight or inactive they become. Achieving and maintaining a healthy weight, being physically active and following a healthy balanced eating plan can significantly reduce your risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

In October 2007, the State Government of Victoria, Australia, funded a four year program to prevent type 2 diabetes in 25,000 people aged 50+ and at high risk of diabetes.

The Life! Taking Action on Diabetes prevention program is based on the Finnish Prevention Program[1] and the Greater Green Triangle Diabetes Prevention Program[2].

Diabetes Australia – Vic is leading the Life! Taking Action on Diabetes program.

The Greater Green Triangle University Department of Rural Health is conducting the training of program facilitators and is taking a lead role in evaluation and development of the Life! Taking Action on Diabetes program.

Greater Green Traingle

The program includes:
• a mass media campaign
• the development and promotion of a diabetes risk test to identify Victorians at high risk of developing type 2 diabetes
• delivery of a lifestyle behaviour change course to 25,000 Victorians who are at high risk of developing diabetes

Uusitupa, M., Lindi, V., Louheranta, A., Salopuro, T., Lindstrom, J & Tuomilehto, J (2003) ‘Long-Term Improvement in Insulin Sensitivity by Changing Lifestyles of People with Impaired Glucose Tolerance: 4-Year Results From the Finnish Diabetes Prevention Study’, Diabetes, 53:2532-2538
Laatikainen, T., Dunbar J A., Chapman A., Kilkkinen, A, Vartiainen, E., Heistaro, S., Philpot, B., Abstez, P., Bunker, S., O’Neil, A., Reddy, P., Best, J D., Janus E D (2007) ‘Prevention of Type 2 Diabetes by lifestyle intervention in an Australian primary health care setting: Greater Green Triangle (GGT) Diabetes Prevention Project’, BMC Public Health, 7 :249:255.