Preventing Type II Diabetes

Diabetes is a disease in which the body fails to produce or properly use insulin. We need insulin to convert food into the energy we expend each day. Over 20 million Americans suffer from this very serious disease. Between 5 and 10% of these 20 million diabetes sufferers have type 1 diabetes. Most type 1 diabetics are children and young adults. So far, we know of no way to prevent the onset of type 1 diabetes. However, the more common variety, type 2 diabetes, can be delayed or prevented—if you act in time. The secrets to preventing type 2 diabetes are a healthy diet and regular exercise.

Get Moving

The surgeon general recommends that adults get at least 30 minutes of physical activity five days a week. If you are among the 60% of Americans who fail to get this minimum amount, it's time to get moving. Start by making some easy changes in your daily life. Opt for the stairs instead of the elevator on your way into the office. Hop off the bus one stop earlier than usual, so you have to walk an extra block.

Eat Smart

The American Diabetes Association says losing just 5% of your body weight can greatly reduce your risk of type 2 diabetes. A healthy diet combined with daily exercise makes it easy to lose that 5%. Remember, a healthy diet includes lots of fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, nonfat dairy products, beans, lean meats, poultry, and fish.

Risk Assessment

Every Monday, Shepherd Bay Medical Center offers free diabetes risk assessments. We'll check your blood pressure and weight and help you fill out a health questionnaire. Your results will be analyzed by HealthLife, a computer program designed in conjunction with Shepherd Bay researcher Norma McKenzie.

Intelligence Community and Web 2.0 Tools

I think it’s a good idea for the Intelligence Community to be front runners regarding new technologies. Familiarity with resources that other people are using or are going to use is critical. Web 2.0 tools would be very beneficial to the agency. But they have to be evaluated and rolled out to areas very carefully. For instance, RSS, a faster way to get news to workers, would work well. Blogs allow everyone in the agency to feel like they are “in the loop”. Wiki’s and collaborative tools are great for a lot of work. Even though the article states that it is a “top secret network” between agencies, I would still be concerned about risks and leaks.

The article states “Although the agency’s mission of providing intelligence to support military planning and weapons acquisition is often fodder for spy novels or Hollywood blockbusters, Shepherd said the DIA’s analysts are similar to workers in other industries…”. Advantages such as collaboration, speed and participation levels would be a plus just like in any other workplace. Marketing might not be as critical.

Disadvantages such as resistance or cost to implement are not as big a concern to the military as they may be to other companies. They are used to keeping up with technology and usually have money available for new technologies, training, etc. However, even if the article downplays the spy factor, I’m not sure about them using all of the tools for all areas. Even with top secret clearance for access, having documents that anybody can edit would require a high standard for tracking and accountability. If something gets posted that is not “correct”, a lot of damage can be done during the time it is posted, even if it is caught and corrected later.

Younger workers are used to doing things in new ways. As an older I.T. person, I am always concerned with security; I came from a time when I.T. said no to everything. That has changed a lot and I am trying to change with it and see that almost anything is doable.