By Cody Daniels/reporter

Two of the most important things to know about diabetes are proper management of the disease and the importance of exercise, a South Campus audience was told Feb. 6.

Toya Norton, John Peter Smith Diabetes Hospital Outreach Program coordinator, gave specific tips on self-monitoring and finding the right tools to do so: healthy foods, medication management and health professional interrelations based on specific diabetes type.

She also talked about the importance of family involvement, eating a solid breakfast and knowing when not to exercise if diabetic.

If every college student in America were to be tested for diabetes, a process she said is easy, many future deaths would be prevented, Norton said.

Testing for diabetes can reveal hypoglycemia and thus enable a person to alter lifestyle habits that might otherwise lead to full-blown diabetes, she said.

Student Tracey Herbert, who has Type 1 diabetes, said seminars like these save lives and help people regain happiness in living with diabetes.

Audience members did more than listen when Norton had them practice using a rubber exercise band.

They also practiced desk exercises suitable for work or school and standing exercises for home.

They also received a packet with diabetes references and resources.

The JPS Diabetes Outreach Program has been serving the Fort Worth community for four years.

It came to TCC this year, Norton said, because of increased reports of hypoglycemic students on all campuses.

“Diabetes awareness is extremely important because it is a vastly growing epidemic and a silent killer,” she said.

“You could have diabetes or be hypoglycemic and not know it until it’s too late.”