New Year's Eve is an exciting time for millions of Americans looking forward to fireworks, food, and countless celebrations to ring in the New Year!

And while New Year's Eve is often seen as a time to let go of the past year and focus on the new opportunities ahead, the dangers that many of our celebrations present make it a very difficult day for some.

How Dangerous is New Year's Eve?

It's important to know just how dangerous New Year's Eve can be in order to help your family stay safe during the holiday. Below are some of the most common causes of accidents, injuries, and death during the New Year holiday.

Traffic Accidents

The National Safety Council estimates between 308 and 514 traffic-related deaths during the 3-day New Year's Eve holiday period. That’s about 6 to 7 deaths per hour due to fatal accidents!

Some, if not most, of these accidents will be due to alcohol consumption during the holiday. According to the NSC, in 2019, 36% of fatal car accidents involved drunk driving.

One of the easiest ways to protect yourself and others is to stay off the roads if you can. And, if you do go out, be sure to have a designated driver or hire a car if you’ll be drinking. 

Fireworks

Fireworks are a dangerous part of the New Year's Eve Holiday. According to the National Fire Protection Association, 10% of fireworks fires happen between December 30 and January 3, peaking on New Year's Day!

Burns from fireworks can be deadly and injure a person's hands, face, eyes, and arms. The NFPA says that over 9,000 people are sent to the emergency room every year due to firework injuries, showing just how serious these injuries can be.

It's not just adults that get hurt by fireworks either. The 2018 U.S. Consumer Safety Product Commission Report found that one third of all firework injuries that year involved children and teens younger than 15 years old.

Gunfire

According to data from Shot Spotter, a forensic investigation system, statistics showed that 22.9% of gunfire incidents in 2015 happened on a single day - New Year's Eve!

People fire guns into the air in celebration at midnight on New Year's. According to the CDC, this is dangerous since bullets can fall to the ground hard enough to be fatal.

Alcohol Poisoning

Alcohol poisoning is a serious condition, and can affect people without them knowing it. This is especially true around the holidays when many people drink more than usual. American Addiction Centers found that on New Year's Eve, people consume 4.4 alcoholic drinks on average, making it the second most alcohol fueled holiday in America next to Mardi Gras. This excess drinking on New Year's Eve can lead to alcohol poisoning.

The CDC estimates that 2,200 people die of alcohol poisoning every year. And New Year’s Eve sees an increase in ER visits and hospitalizations due to excessive alcohol consumption. 

Staying Safe and Sane this New Year's

Fortunately, many of the dangers common to New Year's Eve can be avoided by following simple tips. Below is a list of some of the best ways you and your family can stay safe during the holiday.

1. Don't Play with Fireworks - It sounds simple, but avoiding playing with fireworks can be one of the best ways to prevent injuries to you or your children. Instead, visit a firework show or enjoy the fireworks on your TV screen from the comfort of your own home!

2. Avoid Hazardous Areas - If there's an area in your city that had lots of gunfire accidents last year, it's best to plan ahead and avoid that area this year. You don't want to risk a fatal gunfire accident.

3. Drink Responsibly - If you're going to drink, stick with the CDC's recommended amount of 1 to 2 drinks per day to enjoy the holiday. Better yet, make some non-alcoholic drinks that are just as tasty (and safer)!

4. Avoid Driving while Drunk - With Uber and Lyft around, there are so many options for getting a ride even when you're intoxicated. You can also leave your car keys at home or with a friend to ensure you don't drive drunk accidentally.

5. Drive Defensively - Even if you're not driving drunk, you can still be involved in a car accident. Drive defensively, put down the cell phone, and keep an eye on the road to help you avoid an accident this holiday.

6. Watch out For Others - If you see your loved ones drinking excessively, playing with fireworks or guns, or attempting to drive impaired, speak up and prevent an accident!

This New Year's doesn't have to be dangerous. By following these tips and being informed on the dangers of the holiday, you and your family can stay safe and sane and start the New Year off right (and injury free)!

“Human rights are not things that are put on the table for people to enjoy. These are things you fight for and then you protect.” Waangari Maathai, Nobel Peace Prize Winner 

National Human Rights Month and Universal Human Rights Month are a time every December to remember that we’re all born with important inalienable rights. 

In December 1948, representatives from around the world drafted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. This document was the foundation for establishing fundamental human rights that the United Nations has worked to protect ever since. 

The first Article of the document states:

“All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.” 

Human Rights Month serves as a reminder of these principles. 

What are Human Rights?

The United Nations and World Health Organization both define human rights as inherent rights we are all entitled to regardless of race, sex, gender identification, nationality, religion, or ethnicity. 

These include freedom from slavery and torture, religious freedoms, freedom of expression, the right to work and become educated, the right to clean food and water, and a general right to human dignity and respect. 

All of which are vital for our health and wellbeing. 

“Human rights are rights we have simply because we exist as human beings - they are not granted by any state. These universal rights are inherent to us all, regardless of nationality, sex, national or ethnic origin, color, religion, language, or any other status. They range from the most fundamental - the right to life - to those that make life worth living, such as the rights to food, education, work, health, and liberty.”

What Role Does Health Play in Human Rights?

The World Health Organization states that everyone has the right to the highest attainable standard of health. Without clean water and air, nutritious food, adequate housing, and the bare necessities of health, people cannot thrive. 

And while these rights are the same for everyone, the reality is,

“Disadvantage and marginalization serve to exclude certain populations in societies from enjoying good health.”

Health equity continues to be something we struggle to achieve.

And despite laws and declarations, violations of human rights still occur in some places. That’s why it’s important to take time each year to remember the strides that have been made and draw attention to the long way we still have to go. 

What You Can Do to Raise Awareness this Human Rights Month

As we turn toward awareness during National and Universal Human Rights Month, let’s remember that we’re all human beings striving to live the best life we can. Shining a light on human rights and the importance of access to quality healthcare for all can help raise awareness for those still fighting for health equity. 

What can you do?

1. Spread the message - Share posts, hashtags, and information. Standupforhumanrights.org has some great resources for easy sharing!
2. Learn more - Read the Universal Declaration for Human Rights. Reach out to local organizations focused on supporting human rights and health equity.
3. Speak up - Lobby with your local community and government to uphold human rights and make positive changes that impact your community. 
4. Participate - join a human rights group near you or go to an event that raises awareness for human rights. 
5. Reflect - Think about health inequality and other human rights violations you may have witnessed. Talk about it with others. Hold discussions. 

It’s been a busy year on Evidation!

In 2021, members like you participated in over 200 research opportunities, contributed to 19 research publications, and together logged over 147 million days of activity data.

To honor all that hard work and to share back some of the exciting things that have happened, we wanted to highlight some of this year’s biggest accomplishments. 

In 2021 Evidation Members:

• Earned 7 billion points.
• Redeemed millions of dollars in awards.
• Completed 18 million offers.
• Logged 951 billion steps. That's equivalent to walking to the moon over 1,896 times!
• Logged over 2 billion minutes of exercise. If each minute of exercise burned 10 calories, our members burned the equivalent of 114 million donuts!
• Spent some of their time finding their zen. According to our most popular connected devices, members logged 8 million minutes of yoga this year.
• Joined from all over the US! California was the state with the most new members, and New York was the state that had the largest percent increase from last year.

New to Evidation in 2021:

We introduced several new features in 2021, including: 

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Flu Monitoring on Evidation: Since November, 130,000 people have joined together to form our Flu Monitoring on Evidation community from all 50 states. In its first month alone, Flu Monitoring on Evidation identified nearly 6000 cases of flu-like symptoms from changes in activity data. This information can help people know when to access treatment and protect their loved ones. 

Steps Challenges: This year, some Evidation members stepped up their games in the form of a challenge, and in general, those who participated increased their steps! On Halloween, we wondered how trick or treating impacted our members’ activity levels, and our results showed that people who enrolled in the Halloween Steps Challenge stepped it up much more than people who opted out of the challenge - three times as much, to be precise! Stay tuned for more challenges in 2022.

Month In Review: We’re also working on sending you personalized insights on your healthy habits and activity, from steps to active minutes, which can be especially important to monitor during colder months as we tend to slow down. Keep an eye out for this new feature!

We also launched a new blog so you can find your favorite posts (and maybe some you missed) all in one place. 

These efforts and others like them help bring us closer to achieving our mission of creating new ways to measure and improve health in everyday life. But none of it would be possible without you! 

What’s Next?

We plan to keep the momentum going in 2022 by offering you more opportunities to earn points and participate in challenges. We’ll also be creating additional health programs and offering more personalized content experiences.   

And be sure to keep an eye out for our upcoming Research 101 series and our Diversity in Research series!

It seems there are baked goods everywhere this time of year. At the office, at school, at family gatherings, in shop windows. 

These tasty treats are hard to resist, even for the most disciplined healthy eaters. It is the holiday season, after all!

But for those with wheat allergies, celiac disease, gluten sensitivity, or other dietary restrictions - there’s often little opportunity for such indulgence. Which can lead to feeling isolated or left out  of holiday traditions. 

That’s why the week before Christmas is recognized as gluten-free baking week!

Luckily, these days it’s easy to find good gluten free flours in just about any grocery store. 

But who has the time to go looking for recipes this time of year?

That’s why we put together this list of our favorite gluten free cookie recipes - plus a bonus recipe from one of our Evidation team members! Try them out and let us know on Facebook or Instagram how you liked them!

Gluten Free Cookie Recipes

1. Almond Flour Snickerdoodles
2. Gluten Free White Chocolate Macadamia Cookies
3. Healthy Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies 

         ***If you have a gluten sensitivity or celiac disease, be sure to use gluten free oats!

4. Vegan Pumpkin Spice Rolled Cookies

           ***Be sure to use the gluten free flour option in this one!

5. Chewy Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies
6. Gluten Free Sugar Cookies
7. Gluten Free Molasses Ginger Cookies
8. Gluten Free Peanut Butter Cookies
9. Gluten Free Tahini Cookies
10. Gluten Free Vegan Lemon & Poppy Seed Cookies

Paleo Chocolate Chip Cookies: 

Ingredients:

1 cup almond flour (finely ground) OR

***for nut allergy - 1 cup rice flour, or 1 cup oats, or 1/2 cup coconut flour + 1/2 cup sunflower seed flour

1/4 cup cassava cauliflower blend from trader joes

1/2 cup coconut sugar or maple syrup 

1 tbsp vanilla extract 

A pinch of salt 

1 tsp baking soda 

1/4 cup-1/2 cup mini chocolate chips to taste 

1 egg 

4 tbsp of coconut oil or butter/ghee. 

Bake for 12-15 minutes at 325F

It's National Influenza Vaccination Week PLUS National Handwashing Awareness Week!

Every year in December, we’re reminded of the importance of protecting ourselves and others by stopping the spread of flu. 

The two easiest ways to do that are:

1. Getting the flu vaccine
2. Washing our hands

According to the CDC, these simple preventative measures can have a huge impact.

That’s why National Handwashing Awareness Week and National Influenza Vaccination Week occur together every year in the beginning of December. 

What is National Handwashing Awareness Week?

During National Handwashing Awareness Week health organizations focus on the importance of good hand hygiene and teaching us the best way to wash our hands. This year, Handwashing Awareness Week takes place December 1-7. 

Handwashing Awareness Week is now more important than ever, and can even help save lives during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

According to the CDC, washing your hands with soap and water is one of the easiest and best ways to stop the spread of germs and help keep you and others from getting sick!

The proper steps of handwashing, according to the CDC are:

1. Wet your hands with clean running water (warm or cold doesn't matter) and apply soap
2. Lather the soap until it bubbles on the back of your hands, under your nails, and between your fingers
3. Scrub your hands for 20 seconds (that's as long as the happy birthday song!)
4. Rinse your hands until they're clean
5. Grab a clean towel or air-dry your hands (for a green-friendly alternative)

It's important to know not just how to wash your hands, but also when. 

When to wash your hands:

• Before eating
• Before, during, and after handling food
• Before and after caring for a sick person
• Before and after touching a cut or wound
• After using the bathroom
• After playing with your pets
• Any time your hands look or feel dirty or greasy

What is National Influenza Vaccination Week (NIVW)?

National Influenza Vaccination Week (NIVW) is a national awareness week focused on highlighting the importance of influenza vaccination. This year, NIVW takes place the week of December 5-11.

What is influenza?

Influenza (more commonly called the flu) is a contagious respiratory virus that affects the nose, throat, and lungs. Most people experience mild to moderate symptoms, but for some it’s much more serious.

In fact, the CDC estimates that flu causes 12,000 to 52,000 deaths per year. 

How does the flu spread?

According to the CDC, 

“Most experts believe that flu viruses spread mainly by tiny droplets made when people with flu cough, sneeze or talk. These droplets can land in the mouths or noses of people who are nearby. Less often, a person might get flu by touching a surface or object that has flu virus on it and then touching their own mouth, nose or possibly their eyes.”

How can the flu shot help?

The influenza vaccine, known as the flu shot, helps create immunity to flu viruses. But new viruses spread each year, so the flu vaccine is different from year to year.

That's why the CDC recommends getting the flu shot every year. 

The vaccine is usually available in September or October, and can be given well into January and even February in some cases.

Not everyone can get the flu shot. Some individuals, including babies under 6 months old and people with severe allergies or certain health conditions aren’t able to receive it. 

So be sure to talk to your healthcare provider before getting vaccinated. 

Celebrate to Save Lives

Do your part this December by encouraging your loved ones to wash their hands, get their flu shot, and stay healthy. You can spread the word on social media, at school, and even at work!

There's no better way to help than to protect yourself and your loved ones. So wash your hands, visit your local clinic for your vaccine, and start fighting germs today!

The power of community building and data sharing.

This month, we launched Flu Monitoring on Evidation, and in that short time, more than 100,000 people have enrolled in the program!

In recent years, we’ve seen that tremendous good can come from sharing activity and symptoms data–and from a collective commitment to health. The impact these two actions have made in reducing the spread of illness in communities is profound, and your continued engagement with Flu Monitoring on Evidation follows that same path.

Enrollment across the US

In the spirit of health, we’ve seen people join together to form our Flu Monitoring on Evidation community from all 50 states. Ranging from young adults to those in their 80s!

With an average age of 37 years old, the Evidation Members participating in this program represent a diverse mix of geographies and ages throughout the US.

These maps show details of the program enrollment by state and by zip code:

Enrollment by state:

Enrollment by zip code:

Engagement in our health this flu season

As flu season kicks into high gear, it’s more important to take part in our health, but many people won’t receive treatment for their flu symptoms. This can lead to increased spread in our families, social circles, and communities.

That’s where Flu Monitoring on Evidation comes in: Engaging with us regularly can help match the right people with the right services at the right time.

Remember, you can let us know at any time if you’re experiencing flu symptoms by clicking on this offer card. Being mindful of your symptoms and sharing that information is key to slowing the spread.

Flu cases among Evidation Members

Even though rates of influenza-like illness moving up from “minimal” toward “low,” may not seem severe, it’s an important trend to watch.

Weekly CDC Influenza-like Illness Activity Map for Week Ending November 13, 2021

Identifying early signs of flu across the country can help us slow the spread of illness.

In its first month alone, Flu Monitoring on Evidation has identified nearly 1600 cases of flu-like symptoms from changes in activity data. This information can help people know when to access treatment and protect their loved ones.

It’s no surprise that most of the flu symptoms have been reported in states where program enrollments are highest — California and Texas. But when we look at the number of reports as a percentage of the total enrolled, a different pattern emerges.

We’re keeping an eye on the data we collect –both from the program and from the CDC–so make sure to look out for more personalized information about how the flu is circulating in your area.

Percentage of flu symptoms reported, of those enrolled:

Total flu symptoms reported, of those enrolled:

Stay healthy and engaged

According to the CDC, this season’s flu vaccine will be quadrivalent–which means it’s designed to protect against the four most common flu viruses. That way it can provide the broadest protection. And while most Flu Monitoring participants report having their COVID vaccine, fewer than half reported getting their flu vaccine.

But it’s not too late! Join the 162 million people getting the flu vaccine. And in case you were wondering, flu vaccines and COVID-19 vaccines can be given at the same time.

Sticking with Flu Monitoring is easy, and only takes a few seconds each day. All you have to do is open your Evidation app regularly, and be sure to respond to any notifications we send you. Alert us when you’re feeling under the weather, and we’ll ask you a few follow up questions. And as always — sync your wearable device every day if you have one.

Haven’t joined us yet? You can still enroll! Visit your Evidation dashboard and look for this offer card.

Thanks for joining us on the journey toward healthier living this flu season.

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Chicken soup is good for a cold. Going outside with wet hair will make you sick. Carrots improve your vision…

We’ve all heard these or other phrases like these - whether they came to us from our parents, grandparents, or through our own beliefs and experiences. 

And it can be hard to know which of the many health beliefs passed down to us are tried and true wisdom from the past, and which are myths. 

So, we decided to take some of the most common health beliefs out there and do some digging to find out which are true and which are myths. 

To help us figure out where to start, we asked our members what they thought. 

We started by asking what our members believed about three common health “myths,” and then asked them to tell us about a common health myth or practice that they believe. 

What did we ask?

1. Do you believe drinking coffee during childhood stunts your growth?
2. Do you believe if you stay outside in the cold weather for too long, you will catch a cold?
3. Do you believe eating carrots will improve or give you great vision?
4. What is a common health myth or practice that you know or follow?

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In total, 81,782 of our members responded to the survey. Find out what they thought below!

Does Coffee Stunt Your Growth?

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Most of our members didn’t believe this one. And, according to Harvard Health, they’re right.

“There is no scientifically valid evidence to suggest that coffee can stunt a person's growth.” 

So, where does this myth come from?

Early studies on caffeine indicated that it may affect how well our bodies absorb calcium, which helps bones grow strong. But we now know that the effect is too small to really make an impact. And while caffeine can cause other issues in children and teens, there’s no evidence that it slows or stunts growth. 

Does Being Outside in Cold Weather Make You Sick?

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As you can see from the image above, most of our members don’t believe that going out in cold weather can make you sick. But, over 25% of them believe it can. 

Who’s right?

While being outside in cold weather can’t cause you to catch a cold (which is a virus), it can cause other illnesses (like frostbite, hypothermia, etc.), and it can lower your body’s ability to fight off infections like a cold. 

And, colds and cold-like viruses are more common, more easily spread, and harder to treat in colder weather. 

According to Northwestern Medicine, 

“Being cold actually may reduce your body’s ability to fight infection, and the cold air in your nasal passages may reduce your immune cells’ ability to fight off the virus in your nasal passage.”

So, it looks like our parents were right on this one!

Does Eating Carrots Improve Your Eyesight?

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This one was close!

While most of our members didn’t believe this one either, the yes and no responses were almost equal. 

44.6% said they didn’t believe that eating carrots can improve their vision, and 42.2% said they did. That’s less than a 2% difference.

But, is it true? Can eating carrots improve your vision?

We know carrots are high in beta-carotene which our bodies use to make Vitamin A. That’s where this health “myth” comes from. We’ve all heard that Vitamin A is good for eyesight. And, studies support that. 

The problem is that some research suggests that beta-carotene doesn’t convert into vitamin A well enough to do much good to our vision. 

What does that mean? 

It means that while vitamin A supports healthy vision, the jury is still out on whether the beta-carotene we get from carrots is enough to make much of an impact. 

Common Health Myths and Practices

To help us decide which health beliefs to tackle in upcoming posts, we asked our members which health myths and practices they believed in, and the same ones came up over and over again. 

Here are the top ten:

1. An apple a day keeps the doctor away 
2. 10,000 steps a day is the magic number
3. Carbs make you gain weight
4. You should drink at least 8 cups of water per day 
5. You should get 8 hours of sleep each night
6. Sleeping with wet hair can make you sick
7. Going outside with wet hair when it's cold will make you sick
8. Chicken noodle soup can help you recover from illness quicker
9. Honey is good for illnesses and allergies
10. Apple cider vinegar can help you lose weight

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To learn more about which of these myths are true and which we can ignore, we’re going to dig into each of them, one by one, in upcoming blog posts. So keep your eye out for more of our health myth debunking series!

By 2030, more than 76 million people worldwide will struggle with Alzheimer's Disease, and many more will experience some type of brain health issues. National Alzheimer's Month 2021 is an opportunity to learn more about Alzheimer’s disease and to start conversations with those you love about brain health.

What is Alzheimer’s Disease?

Alzheimer’s is a disease that harms nerve cells and tissue in the brain, affecting a person’s ability to remember, think, and plan. As of now, there is no cure.

The cause of Alzheimer's disease is thought to be an abnormal build-up of proteins called amyloid plaques in and around brain cells that makes it difficult for neurons to "talk" to one another.  Another type of protein that leads to Alzheimer’s disease causes “tangles” in the brain cells.

Communication between neurons in the brain is important for almost every biological function our bodies need to carry out. This includes everything from talking to sleeping to remembering where we placed the remote, or what our address is.

When Alzheimer’s disease affects the brain, a person’s quality of life is directly impacted. They may start with mild memory loss. Over time, the plaques and tangles in the brain take over, making it difficult for the people we love to function as they were once able to.

What Can We Do to Minimize Alzheimer's Disease?

National Alzheimer's Month is a perfect time to learn more about what you can do to help reduce your risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. 

While it’s true that Alzheimer’s primarily affects those over 60, there are lifestyle choices we can begin to make earlier in life to minimize the risk of developing it. 

National Alzheimer's Month 2021: Prevention

According to the Alzheimer’s Association, the following actions can help reduce your risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. :

1. Get regular exercise. Exercise helps to clear toxins from the brain and oxygenate it, keeping your neurons healthy. The Mayo Clinic advises that physically active people are less likely to develop dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease.
2. Reduce stress. Stress causes hormonal and vascular changes in the brain that can harm it. Eliminating stress can help to protect the brain against Alzheimer’s disease. Try a yoga class, meditation, deep breathing exercises, walking in a park, or talking with close friends to relieve stress. 
3. Eat healthy foods that reduce excessive inflammation. Excess inflammation harms the brain. Numerous studies have shown that Alzheimer’s is impacted by lifestyle choices that cause inflammation. Foods that reduce inflammation include the spice turmeric, leafy greens, nuts, healthy oils like olive oil, tomatoes, fruits like blueberries and goji berries, and Omega 3-rich fish like salmon. 
4. Get restful sleep. Sleep is essential for the brain to rid itself of toxins and to repair neurons. Talk to your doctor to find out how much sleep is ideal to allow your natural rest and repair process to happen.
5. Keep your brain active. The old axiom, use it or lose it, stands true for the brain. Do crossword puzzles, listen to music, learn to play an instrument, play cards, or read a book to keep your brain active and engaged. 

National Alzheimer's Month reminds us to focus on brain health and to put practices in place that can reduce our risk of developing dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.

Diabetes affects millions of Americans every single day. According to the CDC, around 1.5 million Americans learn they have diabetes each year. 

American Diabetes Month is held every year in November to raise awareness and help people living with this illness. Events and classes are held to teach people about diabetes, answer questions, and help people learn to prevent or manage diabetes.

What is Diabetes?

The World Health Organization states 422 million people have Diabetes worldwide. According to the CDC, 

“Diabetes is a chronic (long-lasting) health condition that affects how your body turns food into energy.”

What does that mean? 

Our bodies turn much of the food we eat into different types of sugars. Normally, when this happens, and our bodies recognise that our sugar levels have gone up, the pancreas will produce insulin which let’s our bodies use that sugar for energy.

But, if you have diabetes, your body doesn’t make enough insulin or can’t use it as well as it should.

This can be dangerous because, over time, having too much sugar in our blood can lead to complications like heart disease, kidney disease, and vision problems.

Types of Diabetes 

There are two types of Diabetes that anyone can develop at any age.

• Type 1 Diabetes: In type 1 diabetes (this type used to be called juvenile diabetes or insulin-dependent diabetes) the body produces little to no insulin. It’s important to know that anyone can develop type 1 diabetes at any age. 

You can learn more about type 1 diabetes, including risk factors, symptoms, and treatment, here. 

• Type 2 Diabetes: Type 2 used to be known as adult-onset Diabetes. However, type 2 diabetes is becoming more common in children and teens, especially in the US. In this type of diabetes, the body does not make enough insulin, and the body does not respond to the insulin that is made as well as it should. 

You can learn more about type 2 diabetes, including risk factors, symptoms, and treatment, here.

What Causes Diabetes?

Many people think that eating too much sugar causes diabetes. However, there are many risk factors that can make someone more likely to develop diabetes. According to the Mayo Clinic, these include:

• Genetics and family history
• Environmental factors
• Geography
• Race or ethnicity
• Inactivity
• Age
• Weight
• Certain medical conditions like prediabetes, high blood pressure or cholesterol, and polycystic ovarian syndrome.

How to Prevent Diabetes

Although family history plays a big role, there are many steps you can take to lower your chances of getting diabetes. According to Harvard's School of Public Health, these include:

• Controlling your weight
• Getting exercise
• Eating a balanced, healthy diet
• Managing stress
• Quitting smoking

Of course, anyone can develop diabetes, even those who are healthy and active. So, it’s important to recognize the symptoms and talk to your doctor about anything that concerns you!

How can American Diabetes Month Help?

Every year during American Diabetes Month, the American Diabetes Association chooses a theme to help focus their campaign. For instance, in 2019, the theme was "Count Me In." The focus of that theme was to help people learn about the risk factors of diabetes and to help them make healthy changes in their life.

Celebrating American Diabetes Month 2021

American Diabetes Month 2021 will focus on prediabetes and making healthy changes. Prediabetes is the stage of the disease before diabetes actually develops. And the good news is, that for many, it is easily reversible at this stage.  

Individuals with prediabetes have blood sugar levels that are higher than normal. THis is measured with a blood test called A1C. This test gives doctors an average of your blood sugar levels over the last 2-3 months.

The CDC states people with prediabetes have an A1C level of 5.7 to 6.4.

Although many people won't have symptoms of prediabetes, some might have symptoms of actual diabetes. According to the ADA, these symptoms can include:

• Being really tired 
• Losing a lot of weight
• Being hungry all the time
• Being thirsty all the time
• Having to urinate constantly

If you or a loved one has these symptoms, be sure to see your doctor.

During American Diabetes Month 2021, you can learn about prediabetes and take steps to help keep your blood sugar levels normal, or get them back to normal! 

What Can You Do to Help?

Diabetes can have serious, long-lasting effects on those living with it and their loved ones. And, while there is no cure, medication and lifestyle changes can help people with diabetes feel better and live longer, healthier lives.

With the help of American Diabetes Month 2021, you and your loved ones can help spread awareness on diabetes and join the fight to end it for good.