Kevin Young, 1992 Olympic Gold Medalist and World-Record Holder, recently partnered with NDEP to record an audio news release (ANR) to promote NDEP’s diabetes prevention messages to the 57 million Americans with pre-diabetes, a condition that increases the risk for developing type 2 diabetes. Distributed nationally to radio stations and networks, an audio news release is a 60-second packaged news story that usually includes a 20-second sound bite from a spokesperson.

Using the 2008 Summer Olympics theme as a hook, Kevin stressed that you don’t have to be an Olympic Gold Medalist to prevent type 2 diabetes. He also urged people at risk for type 2 diabetes to lose a small amount of weight by being physically active 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week, and to make healthy food choices to prevent type 2 diabetes. The ANR has currently aired on more than 5,000 radio stations nationwide with an audience of more than 13 million listeners. Please continue to promote this interview by sharing it with others.

To download and listen to the ANR in its entirety, visit www.radionewssource.com/Scripts/ndepolympic.htm.

The American Diabetes Association (ADA) recently launched MyFoodAdvisor™, a new free online nutrition tool developed to provide food information to people with diabetes, heart disease, kidney disease, and anyone trying to lose weight. This interactive tool compares foods by 22 different nutrients, suggests healthy alternatives, and analyzes what a person currently eats. Portion sizes are standardized based on ADA and American Dietetic Association exchange lists. Therefore, all carbohydrate-containing foods are shown in servings of about 15 grams.

Additional features allow users to explore 5,000 different foods; search the database by setting their own criteria for carbohydrates and four other nutrients; easily add up daily servings of carbs, fat, and 20 other nutrients; and browse and save recipes to a personal recipe box.

To access this new tool, visit ADA’s website.

NDEP is currently promoting a new feature article entitled, “Small Steps, Big Rewards for Families with a History of Gestational Diabetes”* to general print and online publications. The article emphasizes that both women with a history of gestational diabetes and their children have a lifetime risk of developing diabetes and provides tips to help women and their families stay healthy and reduce their risk.

To learn more about how women with a history of gestational diabetes and their families can lower their risk for diabetes, check out NDEP’s It’s Never Too Early to Prevent Diabetes .A Lifetime of Small Steps for a Healthy Family.tip sheet, which is available in English or Spanish.

For women with diabetes, the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases' new, easy-to-read resource entitled For Women with Diabetes: Your Guide to Pregnancy includes information about checking and controlling blood glucose, maintaining a healthy diet, staying physically active, and taking tests and diabetes medications during pregnancy. To order a free copy of this new resource, visit www.catalog.niddk.nih.gov or call 1–800–860–8747.

In October, NDEP will release a new feature article highlighting 10 healthy snacks* to help teens stay at a healthy weight and lower their risk for type 2 diabetes. For more ways to help teens lower their risk for type 2 diabetes, check out NDEP’s Tips for Teens: Lower Your Risk for Type 2 Diabetes tip sheet.

In November, NDEP will celebrate National Diabetes Awareness Month and World Diabetes Day (November 14) by promoting NDEP awareness and diabetes prevention messages through the One Call, One Click and Small Steps. Big Rewards. Prevent Type 2 Diabetes. campaigns. During this month, NDEP will be releasing new radio public service announcements that will emphasize having a family history of diabetes as a risk factor for developing type 2 diabetes.

In each issue of News & Notes look for NDEP promotional tools that are ready for you to personalize, customize, and distribute.

• Take our feature articles, press releases, and public service announcements, and add your organization’s logo*.
• Add your organization’s name and mission and talk about how you and NDEP are working together.
• Add your contact information to a feature article.
• Then submit the ad and/or article to your local paper.

By using our promotional tools, everybody wins. Your community newspaper receives a story with important health information for its readers, your organization receives good publicity, and you help NDEP continue to be the nation’s No. 1 resource for free information and materials on diabetes control and prevention. Each issue of News & Notes features tools that tie into the following month’s promotions and can help us promote NDEP together.

Here are a few ways you can use NDEP materials, get others involved, and attract media attention when launching a diabetes campaign in your community:

• Read and distribute our materials.Download and reproduce tip sheets, fact sheets, flyers, brochures, and booklets. Distribute materials to family, friends, colleagues, fellow organization members, and neighbors. Order materials from NDEP’s online publications catalog or by calling 1-888-693-NDEP (6337), TTY: 1-866-569-1162.
• Use NDEP materials that work for your audience. NDEP has materials tailored for high-risk populations including African Americans, Hispanics/Latinos, American Indians and Alaska Natives,Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, older adults, and women with a history of gestational diabetes and their children.
• Start at the local level. Discuss the importance of diabetes prevention or diabetes management by using NDEP’s slide presentations at your organization’s meeting or place an NDEP article or PSA in your organization’s newsletter and add a few sentences to tailor it for your audience. Develop a relationship with local businesses and organizations by asking them to promote NDEP’s campaigns and messages to their customers. They may also be able to provide donations or a small community grant. In addition, you can partner with your state Diabetes Prevention and Control Program. For more information about state programs, visit www.cdc.gov/diabetes/states/index.htm.
• Get help from other organizations. The American Diabetes Association, American Association of Diabetes Educators, and the American Dietetic Association are just a few of the organizations that can provide additional resources.
• Work with local media outlets.Tailor NDEP’s press releases for your organization and send them to local newspapers. Download and use our promotional tools and fact sheets. Read NDEP’s tips for working with the media to help you get started.
• Link your website to ours.Let your members know they can download and print our copyright-free materials and learn more about current program activities at www.YourDiabetesInfo.org.

For more ways to start a diabetes campaign, visit www.YourDiabetesInfo.org/campaigns/starting.htm.

NDEP will exhibit at these upcoming conferences:

• American Academy of Family Physicians
  Sept 17-21, 2008; San Diego, CA

• American Dietetic Association
  Oct 25-28, 2008; Chicago, IL
  NDEP-NIH Director Joanne Gallivan, M.S., R.D. will receive the American Dietetic Association’s Excellence in Community Dietetics Award here during a session entitled, “The Diabetes Pandemic: The Role of the Dietitian” on October 27 at 3 p.m.