Diabetes Alert Day: Md. Couple Testament That Risk Tests Can Save Lives
BALTIMORE (WJZ)--It's Diabetes Alert Day. It's a one day wake-up call for the country, asking millions to take a diabetes risk test.
Mary Bubala spoke to two Marylanders who are living proof that a simple test could save your life.
In Maryland--where 86 percent of adults are overweight--it's a critical moment. Just ask the Warrens.
Ivori and Kevin Warren, who are both in their 30s, fix healthy meals with protein and low carbs. It's a radical new lifestyle from just one year ago.
"McDonald's, Waffle House, anything fast food was our friend," said Ivori Warren.
Within months of each other, both Ivori and Kevin were diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes, a life threatening disease with dire consequences.
She was losing her eyesight. He was so tired that getting up in the morning was impossible.
"My body was failing, and I should have taken it seriously because diabetes runs in my family," Kevin Warren said.
The dire diagnosis forced the Warrens to immediately change their lifestyle and habits. And it's paid off. They've lost more than 90 pounds together, and their diabetes is under control.
They created a Facebook page called Sugar & Strife about their journey to manage diabetes.
Ivori's sorority, Alpha Kappa Alpha, has rallied around them to help spread the word about getting tested.
"You know, 'it's an old people disease,' and they don't want to hear it, but now it's a lot of young people that are affected by diabetes. Just make sure you take care of yourself," Ivori Warren said.
So on this Diabetes Alert Day, the Warrens urge you to take a simple test to determine if you are at risk.
"You get a number, and if that number is high, go and talk to your doctor. Find out from your health care provider what you need to do, and if you find yourself at the lower end still take preventative steps to make sure you don't become pre-diabetic," said Tracy Newsome, Maryland ADA.
One in three Americans is pre-diabetic and doesn't know it. But knowing can change everything.
"I'm eating. I'm exercising," Ivori Warren said.
"I'm a lot more active, so it's like I enjoy life more," said Kevin Warren.
The Warrens have a link on their Facebook to take the quick diabetes risk test. You answer simple questions about weight, age, family history and other risk factors like high blood pressure, and you are given a score.
To take the diabetes risk test, click here.
If current trends continue, one in three Maryland children will develop diabetes in their lifetime.
