SAN DIEGO, CA, October 6 /PRNewswire/ -- Taking Control of Your Diabetes (TCOYD), a leading not-for-profit diabetes education organization, is taking a stand to drive national engagement in helping to change the course of the epidemic of uncontrolled diabetes in the United States. It is estimated that 24 million Americans are living with diabetes, and about 40 percent of them are not in control of their blood sugar levels. Start Taking Action Now for Diabetes (S.T.A.N.D.), made possible with support from sanofi-aventis U.S., is a new national initiative that is utilizing social marketing to create a movement for better blood sugar control.
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"It's time to change the course of the diabetes epidemic," said Dr. Steven Edelman, founder and director of TCOYD, and also a person living with type 1 diabetes. "At the heart of S.T.A.N.D. is a movement that strives to encourage health-seeking behaviors and establish blood sugar management as a popularly understood and nationally embraced health goal."
S.T.A.N.D. aims to highlight the positive actions of role models, encourage online communities that facilitate peer-to-peer connections, and create partnerships with leaders in healthcare, marketing and entertainment. People living with diabetes and their families and friends are encouraged to participate in this movement for better blood sugar control through the S.T.A.N.D. pledge, which can be accessed at www.STANDforDiabetes.org.
To initiate this national movement, TCOYD convened the S.T.A.N.D. Social Marketing Summit in 2009, hosted by Dr. Edelman and Tony Award-winning actor and Broadway star Ben Vereen. As a person with type 2 diabetes, Mr. Vereen has made a strong commitment to serve as a role model and encourage people living with diabetes to get serious about controlling their blood sugar levels.
"When I was first diagnosed I did the things my doctor recommended -- watching my diet, exercising more and taking my diabetes medication -- but I wasn't comfortable checking my blood sugar in public," said Ben Vereen. "But I've overcome my discomfort with the help of friends and family because I've learned that it's so essential to control my blood sugar. Now checking my blood sugar is as comfortable as using my cell phone and my blood sugar is under control!"
Summit participants were charged with thinking of new ways to communicate about diabetes, via traditional and non-traditional channels. The range of experience and expertise from the diverse group of participants led to thought-provoking and engaging interactions focused on how to influence change.
"The summit was such an inspiration to me, providing the opportunity to apply my personal experience living with type 1 diabetes and empowering me to take a stand for better blood sugar control," said Betsy Hilfiger, Director of Community Affairs, Tommy Hilfiger USA, Inc. "Since the summit, I've continued to think of new ways for each one of us to reach more people living with diabetes than ever before."
The collaboration among summit participants also led to the development of the initial S.T.A.N.D. communication tools. "Take the Wheel," a new national Public Service Announcement (PSA) distributed to broadcast, radio and online outlets, was created to disrupt traditional perceptions about living with diabetes and underscore the need for an overall "team" approach to blood sugar management. The S.T.A.N.D. Summit Report, which highlights the challenges and opportunities in advancing diabetes awareness discussed during the summit, was developed to encourage leaders in the sports, fashion, entertainment and marketing industries to take action and use social marketing tools to influence change in the fight against uncontrolled diabetes.
For more information about S.T.A.N.D., please log onto www.STANDforDiabetes.org.
About Diabetes
Diabetes is a chronic, widespread condition in which the body does not produce or properly use insulin, the hormone needed to transport glucose (sugar) from the blood into the cells of the body for energy. More than 230 million people worldwide are living with the disease and this number is expected to rise to a staggering 350 million within 20 years. It is estimated that nearly 24 million Americans have diabetes, including an estimated 5.7 million who remain undiagnosed. At the same time, about 40 percent of those diagnosed are not achieving the blood sugar control target of A1C <7 percent recommended by the ADA. The A1C test measures average blood glucose levels over the past two- to three-month period.
About Taking Control of Your Diabetes, 501(c)3
Taking Control of Your Diabetes (TCOYD) is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to informing and empowering people with diabetes to become actively involved in their own health care. TCOYD does this through live national conferences, local events, publications, online resources and their own educational television series. Each year TCOYD has the opportunity to spark a new understanding and a new energy in thousands of people living with this disease. For more information, please visit www.tcoyd.org.
About sanofi-aventis U.S.
Sanofi-aventis U.S. is an affiliate of sanofi-aventis, a leading global pharmaceutical company that discovers, develops and distributes therapeutic solutions to help improve the lives of patients. Sanofi-aventis is listed in Paris (Euronext: SAN) and in New York (NYSE: SNY).
For more information, www.sanofi-aventis.us or www.sanofi-aventis.com
US Contacts:
Michele Huie
858-792-4741
huie@tcoyd.org
Carrie Melia
908-981-6486
Carrie.melia@sanofi-aventis.com
US.GLA.09.09.011
SOURCE Taking Control of Your Diabetes
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SOURCE: Taking Control of Your Diabetes
Web site: http://www.STANDforDiabetes.org/