Parkview Medical Center takes aim at obesity
Parkview Medical Center wants to help educate the community on ways to reduce obesity and risk factors associated with diabetes.
Parkview’s Spirit of Women organization hosted “Overcoming Obesity,” an educational seminar for men and women in the community interested in getting answers and tips on how to proactively manage diet and protect against diabetes and the dangerous complications that result from the disease.
The free event was held Nov. 9, at REPS Union Avenue Sports Gym, 110 S. Union Ave.
“Obesity is caused primarily by what we eat and lack of physical activity,” said Rhonda Lewis, director of diabetes care at Parkview Medical Center. “That means that obesity is largely preventable and people can do a lot to reduce their risk of developing diabetes.”
Lewis spoke at the event.
In addition to providing tips to fight obesity, including diet and lifestyle changes, the forum also provides a fun and friendly environment for people to get their questions answered.
Other highlights of the event included screenings, a presentation about overcoming your gym fears and prizes to finish the night.
Type 2 diabetes can lead to blindness, limb amputation, kidney and heart disease. Obesity is a good predictor of developing type 2 diabetes.
In the U.S., approximately 35 percent of American adults are obese.
According to statistics from the Pueblo City-County Health Department, 29.6 percent of adults in Pueblo are obese. Broken down by gender, 30.1 percent of men are obese while 29.1 percent of women fall into that category.
