Mr. Speaker, I, too, would like to welcome you back to the Assembly. This morning, here in the Legislative Assembly, a number of us, and I hope the staff and the people who work here too, took advantage of the diabetes testing program that was put on here in the Great Hall by volunteers and professional staff. It was a pretty simple procedure, Mr. Speaker. They just gave our fingers a little poke, drew a little bit of blood and then in a couple of seconds were able to give us a reading on our blood sugar levels. It is not the real analysis that needs to be done, but it is a good signal and it is very simple and I appreciate that they came into the Legislative Assembly to do that.
Diabetes is something that is fast becoming recognized as a very, very serious problem across North America, but especially here in the NWT, Mr. Speaker. It is estimated that about one in 20 of us has Type 2 diabetes and the Canadian Diabetes Association says that for every person who knows he or she has diabetes, there is one who does not. So there are many people who are not aware that they may have this life-threatening, if not life-changing disease. Here are some of the questions that everyone should consider. Are you over 45 years of age? Are you overweight, particularly around the middle? Do you get enough exercise? Are you Aboriginal, Hispanic, Asian, or African? Is there a history of diabetes in your family? If you said yes to two or more of these factors, your risk of having diabetes increases. If you are 45 years old, you are advised to get your blood sugar level checked every one to three years.
Type 2 diabetes is largely preventable. Its onset may be delayed by a healthy lifestyle, some healthy lifestyle choices, such as diet, weight control and exercise. Diabetes can be managed through monitoring, testing, lifestyle and sometimes the use of medication. It's very simple. The professionals tell us to eat properly, get enough exercise and don't smoke.
Mr. Speaker, diabetes prevention, early detection and management are all areas that we can do a better job of. I want to acknowledge the work of Paul Hanna of the NWT Diabetes Association for taking the initiative and helping out nurses Mary Deans and Kerry Mitchell of the Shopper's Drug Mart. Mr. Speaker, it can start with each of us getting a very simple test, and that was demonstrated this morning. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
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