Expo puts healthy eating in focus

SMART CHOICES: Regional Health Authority community educators Pushpa Wati (left) and Sandy Taylor demonstrate healthy versus unhealthy choices at the Diabetes Expo. PHOTO/ STUART MUNRO

Diabetes Wanganui hosted an Expo at the Wanganui war Memorial Centre yesterday with 20 stalls focusing on the prevention or treatment of diabetes and related conditions.

President Helen Ashton said the Expo is part of Diabetes Action Month and Diabetes Wanganui is hoping to bring the rising numbers of people diagnosed with diabetes to people's attention.

"In the past 10 years, the number of people diagnosed with diabetes in New Zealand has more than doubled to 257,000," she said.

The majority of those people have Type 2 diabetes which is often preventable or treatable with a healthy diet and exercise routine. Around 10 per cent of that number have Type 1 diabetes which is not preventable but is treatable with a combination of medication, healthy food choices and exercise.

The stalls at the Expo included health advice from Diabetes Wanganui and the Regional Health Authority showing displays of foods with high ratios of fat and sugar and what the healthy options are.

Conditions related to diabetes often affect circulation, vision and mobility so there were experts as well as business specialists on hand to give advice.

An armchair exercise session with Carla Langmead was well-received, as well as a cooking demonstration from diabetes dietician Kristen White.

Ms White also gave a talk on healthy eating with tips on how to correctly read food labels.

The next event for Diabetes Action Month will be a national roadshow promoting physical activity happening at Majestic Square on November 26.