In celebration of World Diabetes Day last Nov. 14, Novo Nordisk Philippines and partner healthcare professionals urged students of the Jose Rizal University (JRU) in Mandaluyong City to adopt a healthy lifestyle in order to prevent type 2 diabetes mellitus.
Novo Nordisk general manager Jeppe Theisen said: “As a global leader in diabetes care and innovation, Novo Nordisk is committed to defeating the diabetes pandemic. We are honored to work with our healthcare partners in promoting a healthy lifestyle among the youth, which is the ideal target population for effective diabetes prevention.”
“Healthy eating together with regular physical activity lowers your risk of developing diabetes,” Diabetes Philippines board of directors member Leyden Florido told JRU students who earlier shared a healthy breakfast with their teachers as part of the celebration.
Also present during the celebration were JRU vice president for academic affairs Dr. Barbara Wong-Fernandez and Association of Diabetes Nurse Educators of the Philippines president Dr. Josefina Florendo.
JRU faculty and students from grade 5 to high school attended the event. Founded in 1919, JRU has the reputation of providing quality education at an affordable cost. It is implementing a healthy lifestyle and disease prevention program for its faculty and students.
The event is part of Novo Nordisk’s global advocacy, Changing Diabetes, which works to raise awareness, improve access to care and address the psychosocial aspects of diabetes in order to improve people’s lives. Changing Diabetes also pushes the frontiers of research and development to improve treatments and create more opportunities for people with diabetes.
Going beyond medicine, Novo Nordisk works with partners to advocate for better education and support, helping people better manage their diabetes and live life on their own terms. In collaboration with policymakers and health organizations worldwide, it is pushing diabetes to the top of the global health agenda. The company also works with patient organizations to raise awareness about prevention, care and control of diabetes.
After eating their healthy breakfast, JRU faculty and students wrote down their commitment to helping prevent and manage diabetes and posted them on the Changing Diabetes commitment board. They then formed a blue circle, which expresses their commitment to fight diabetes and symbolizes a protective shield against the disease.