If you have type 2 diabetes, you’re about to get a new way to fight it.
New health coaches are gearing up here in Saint John and across the province as part of New Brunswick’s new Live Well! program. The $1.7 million partnership between the Department of Health, the Canadian Diabetes Association and the Medavie Health Foundation uses a community approach to prevent and manage diabetes.
Lesley Melanson is one of the heath coaches here in Saint John and she tells CHSJ news she’ll be helping people between the ages of 16 and 50 fight the chronic disease. She’ll be a resource and mentor in helping people get healthy. They’ll work with community groups that focus on healthy eating, active living and mental health.
Melanson says a big misconception about type 2 diabetes is most people view it as a disease only older people get and because of this, a lot of young people keep living an unhealthy lifestyle. She says about 10% of people living in Greater Saint John and over 70,000 people in New Brunswick have diabetes. That number is also expected to rise to 128,000 by 2032.
The service is free but you’ll need to be refereed to the health coach by a physician or another health care provider.
