Shape Your Future and the Oklahoma Tobacco Helpline Highlight National Diabetes Awareness Month

OKLAHOMA CITY (October 24, 2023) — This November, Shape Your Future and the Oklahoma Tobacco Helpline are joining forces to highlight National Diabetes Awareness Month. These two Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust (TSET) programs focus on improving the health and well-being of all Oklahomans.

Type 2 diabetes is one of the top preventable health issues in Oklahoma and costs the state $3.8 billion per year through direct medical costs and indirect costs, such as lost productivity. The condition mostly affects adults and some children who don’t get enough physical activity, which negatively impacts insulin production and leads to elevated blood sugar levels.

“Too many Oklahomans suffer the complications and impacts of Type 2 diabetes, with reduced quality of life and shorter lives,” said Julie Bisbee, TSET executive director. “A lack of access to healthy foods and limited opportunities for physical activity contribute to rising rates of diabetes across the state. National Diabetes Awareness Month is an opportunity to reflect on how we can make healthier choices available and accessible to all Oklahomans.”

Smoking is another risk factor for Type 2 diabetes. People who smoke are more than 40% more likely to develop Type 2 diabetes compared to people who do not smoke, according to the CDC.

Oklahomans can prevent or delay diabetes through healthy lifestyle changes.

Prevention Tips for Families:

• Exercise Regularly: Incorporate at least 30 minutes of regular physical activity for adults and 60 for children, whether it’s a family walk, a bike ride or screen-free playtime.
• Eat Nutritiously: Maintain a healthy diet emphasizing whole grains, lean proteins, fruits and vegetables.
• Sleep Well: Prevent the onset of chronic disease by getting high-quality sleep each night.
• Quit Smoking: For help quitting tobacco, reach out to the Oklahoma Tobacco Helpline at 1-800-QUIT NOW or visit OKhelpline.com to explore the free, personalized help available to all Oklahomans. Teens who want to quit tobacco can use services provided by My Life, My Quit by texting “Start My Quit” to 36072 or visiting MyLifeMyQuit.com.

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Shape Your Future is a community health education intervention that encourages Oklahomans to eat better, move more and be tobacco free. Shape Your Future strives to educate parents, teachers, caregivers and all Oklahomans on how to make the healthy choice the easy choice. Find more information online at ShapeYourFutureOK.com.

The Oklahoma Tobacco Helpline is a free service for Oklahomans wanting to help themselves, loved ones, patients or employees live tobacco free. Funding is primarily provided by the Oklahoma Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust, in partnership with the Oklahoma State Department of Health, Oklahoma Health Care Authority, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The Oklahoma Tobacco Helpline has served more than 520,000 Oklahomans since 2003 and has been ranked among the top quitlines for reaching tobacco users seeking treatment for the last 10 years by the North American Quitline Consortium.

My Life, My Quit is a free program to help Oklahoma teens, ages 13-17, quit tobacco and e-cigarettes. By offering free live texting, web chat and phone calls, My Life, My Quit supports teens through the steps of quitting tobacco. Funded by the Oklahoma Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust, these free services for Oklahoma teens can be found at MyLifeMyQuit.com or by texting “Start My Quit” to 36072.

The Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust serves as a partner and bridge builder for organizations shaping a healthier future for all Oklahomans. TSET provides leadership at the intersections of health by working with local coalitions and initiatives across the state, cultivating innovative and life-changing research, and working across public and private sectors to develop, support, implement and evaluate creative strategies to take advantage of emerging opportunities to improve the public’s health. TSET – Better Lives Through Better Health. To learn more, go to Oklahoma.gov/TSET

TSET – Better Lives Through Better Health