Lakeview & lions club health fair

Lakeview Regional and Mandeville Lions Club Take Diabetes to Heart

“Healthy Living” event hosted in recognition of National Diabetes Month

Lakeview Hospital and the Mandeville Lions Club are co-hosting a “Healthy Living” event in recognition of National Diabetes Awareness month, which this year has a special focus on the link between diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

The event, which will feature health information, a cooking demonstration and giveaway items, will be held on Saturday, Nov. 16, from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. at the Lion's Hall at 720 Lafitte Street in Mandeville.

“We are excited to partner with the local Lions Club because the number of Americans with diabetes and prediabetes is staggering – we need to tackle this together, as a community,” said Hiral Patel, Lakeview Regional’s CEO. “Many people don’t realize that having diabetes means you are more likely to develop heart disease and suffer a heart attack or a stroke. It’s our goal to provide our neighbors with the best information – because the steps you take now can help prevent health issues later.”

Lakeview Regional, which is a campus of Tulane Medical Center, will provide educational information on diabetes and cardiovascular disease, as well as a wide variety of other health conditions. Hospital culinary staff will present a diabetic friendly cooking demonstration, and staff will be available to assist attendees in finding a primary care or specialty physician.

The City of Mandeville will provide information on local walking/running paths and health-related programming administered by the city. Lions Club International will share information about health-related services provided by the organization across the globe, including aid for diabetes, vision, hunger and childhood cancers, as well as information about the impact the environment has on one’s well-being. The fair will feature drawings, raffles and giveaway items for attendees.

Nearly 30 million Americans suffer from diabetes, and another 86 million have prediabetes. The total national cost of diagnosed diabetics is estimated to be around $245 billion.

“The Mandeville Lions club recognizes that diabetes touches many lives in our city – it affects families, not just individuals,” said Rick Dennie, Mandeville Lions Club spokesperson. “We wanted to find a way to help raise awareness within our community of the importance of preventing and treating this condition. We want our residents to live the best quality of life possible and be able to enjoy all of the things that come with that in south Louisiana.”

For more information, call Rick Dennie at 985.966.5684 or Kim Melvin at Lakeview Regional at 985.867.4438.