Fitbit to help diabetics

[DMC_GA]

Hello Fitbit community, I wanted to share my idea/thought with you.  I am interested in getting a Fitbit and being an adult with Type II diabetes I am learning how important exercise and diet is a necessity, but have no idea how many steps I walk in a day which is why I am getting a Fitbit!  I spend approx $130 to $170 a month on prescriptions so it's hard to obtain one at the moment.  My idea is to coordinate with doctors and clinics and provide a Fitbit to all patients to help promote a healthier lifestyle and educate us on how many steps I do in a day!  This will not only help me loose weight, but become healthier and reach my 10,000 steps a day.

[DMC_GA]

Hello Fitbit community, I wanted to share my idea/thought with you.  I am interested in getting a Fitbit and being an adult with Type II diabetes I am learning how important exercise and diet is a necessity, but have no idea how many steps I walk in a day which is why I am getting a Fitbit!  I spend approx $130 to $170 a month on prescriptions so it's hard to obtain one at the moment.  My idea is to coordinate with doctors and clinics and provide a Fitbit to all patients to help promote a healthier lifestyle and educate us on how many steps I do in a day!  This will not only help me loose weight, but become healthier and reach my 10,000 steps a day.

[cindynelson]

While I admire your intent on a healthier life style, I wonder who you think is going to pay for all these devices for everyone with your health problem. I have another health problem (severe hypertension).  I paid $200.00 for my FitBit out of my paycheck. I did not ask for someone else to pay for it.

[DMC_GA]

Maybe you should have..... I am glad you paid for your Fitbit out of your
paycheck, however, some people cannot afford to do so. I just think the
idea of Fitbit teaming up with doctors and clinics to help those who cannot
afford to buy one is a good idea, which is why I decided to post it.

[Odyssey13]

Hello and welcome to the forums @DMC_GA

It's good you want to take better care of your health and would like to begin using a Fitbit. You can always begin walking in areas where the distance is known. Many malls will tell you how far it is to walk around the perimeter. Some hospitals have paths marked to let you know how many miles it is to walk around the area. Five thousand steps is one mile, more or less.

Health care professionals could help by suggesting patients use a fitness device and many do, but they don't provide them.  There are potential problems in giving out free devices. What about people who don't have a computer with internet access or a compatible smartphone? They wouldn't be able to set up and sync their Fitbit and that would be frustrating. Would they then expect the doctor to provide the means to connect with the Fitbit device and the Fitbit servers where the data is stored? Or would they simply sell their Fitbit to someone else and not even bother?  If it's an older person who has no knowledge of the internet, computers or smartphones, it would be difficult for them. I know people who simply don't want to use technology.

Why not start with your own health insurance company and see what they suggest in getting a program started to provide some fitness devices to those who have a disease which would benefit from increased activity levels. You could also check with local hospitals and see what might be in your area.

Maybe you can make a difference in your area. Most hospitals have a support group for diabetics, why not start there and see what they suggest could be done in starting a program. You could be starting something that would help a lot of people.

@cindynelson(Hi Cindy!) was right. Most people buy their own devices or receive them as gifts.

Please don't be discouraged @DMC_GA  because many good things begin with the vision of one person. This could be your mission, so please keep us informed with your progress.

[cindynelson]

I agree Odyssey13. Starting or joining a support group is a good idea. Then maybe you could do some fund raising events to increase awareness of diabetes and the health risks. That way the people in your group who are interested in a tracking device would have money to buy one. For those who are not interested in a tracking device, they would have access to support and ideas to manage their condition.

Speaking of health conditions it is time for me to go to the gymn for a couple of hours. I go almost everyday to manage my hypertension.

Kind Regards,

Cindy

[GershonSurge]

---

@DMC_GA wrote:
Maybe you should have..... I am glad you paid for your Fitbit out of your
paycheck, however, some people cannot afford to do so. I just think the
idea of Fitbit teaming up with doctors and clinics to help those who cannot
afford to buy one is a good idea, which is why I decided to post it.

---

You can buy a Sportline pedometer at WalMart for about $5.95. It counts steps as well as the Zip. You will need to track your own daily data.  You can log it in your Fitbit account. The battery seems to last for years. The calorie estimation is within about 10% just like the Fitbits.

[WavyDavey]

Regardless of who pays for it, fitbit can really help someone manage diabetes. Not only does it track activity levels, but it can give you an idea of how many calories you're burning each day. If you log your food in the dashboard, it's pretty easy to manage the dietary end of things.

[rmunjuluri]

Tracking sugar readings manually entered in the dashboard is an important feature needed in the Fitbit dashboard.

[Bill_k]

Your idea isn't that far fetched really. When i started taking blood pressure medication the company i was buying the pills from sent me a blood pressure tester for free and i recently went in to get my blood sugar tested by a nurse my doctor brought in and she gave me a blood sugar tester free with a bunch of strips.

[DMC_GA]

Thank you, finally someone understands the point of my post!!

[MarciM]

I think the overarching issue is not who pays for it, but why we have insurance providers willing to pay to for medications, instead of natural alternatives. Provide patience with education and tools to execute on the education (tracker, meal plan, exercise goals), perhaps medication initially with a goal and a plan to become less dependent and eventually medication free. By That seems like a more sustainable approach, healthier lifestyle for people and long term cost saving for insurance providers.  

[cindynelson]

Hi Marci - That is an interesting viewpoint. However, I think it is cheaper for insurance providers  to pay for medications rather than a health management plan. 

My opinion is I rely on medications for things I cannot control like severe hypertension and epilepsy.  I developed a healthy life style at an early age when I was a teenager.  I run/walk 10 miles a day everyday as well as maintaining my strength training schedule with weights. I also maintain a good diet.  This means I can take a lower dose of medications to control hypertension. I disagree with the basic premise that the insurance providers or health providers are responsible for paying for my gymn membership, Fitbit or blood pressure cuff.  I feel like designing and maintaining my personal healthy  lifestyle is my responsibility ... not the insurance company, not health providers and God forbid ... not the government.

[MarciM]

@cindynelson Hi Cindy, I appreciate the thoughtful response and your opinion. You are correct that at a first look it is cheaper for insurance providers to pay for medications. However, the long term cost of people taking medication without proper education and alternatives is much greater. You have an inspiring story and you understand what you need to be healthier. I meet so many people that don't have that awareness, thus my interest in exploring alternative options, weather it be funded by insurance or other means (not government, totally agree on that point).

I love this forum of sharing our thoughts and ideas. I always learn something and enjoy the positive energy.

[GershonSurge]

@DMC_GA,

Instead of being mad at your insurance company for not buying a Fitbit, you should be mad at your doctor for not teaching you how to cure Type 2 diabetes with a whole food plant based diet. It's one hundred percent curable in a short time.

[WavyDavey]

@GershonSurge,

Maybe I missed it, but I didn't see anywhere in the OP's posts on this thread where they mentioned what they heard from their doctor, so I'm not sure criticism belongs there.

Also, not to nitpick, but it is possible to reverse diabetes without resorting to a plant-based diet (example: chicken does not spike blood sugar). At least that's my experience.

[cindynelson]

Hi Marci - I would have to thank my mom for my awareness of a good diet. She was a nuclear physicist. Her details of  ingredients in food were very detailed.  I have always participated in sports so also worked with a few coaches and trainers who helped me with my exercise plan. I have never spent a lot of money on my plans for a healthy life style. The plan is the easy part but the self motivation seems a problem for some people.

I agree that the most insurance providers are not looking at the big picture when they only rely on medication and do not offer consultation about a healthy life style. The insurance provider from my employer does offer such consultation and they also offer a service which allows us to comparison shop for provider and services. 

I agree this is an interesting forum.

[USAF-Larry]

@DMC_GA, you can reverse Type 2 Diabetes without the aid of a Fitbit-type device, so there is no particular reason for anyone to require one. Agreed, a Fitbit helps one track their exercise levels, and I have greatly improved my fitness level since get a Fitbit, but it is not a necessary device. While working with my Internal Medicine doctor on using diet and exercise to first eliminate medicines, I learned that the important thing is a Lifestyle Change.  Trying to be dependent upon any devices, such as a Fitbit, will not result in the needed lifestyle change. It took me almost 3 years to get off medications and totally reverse Type 2 Diabetes, but since accomplishing that my blood glucose levels have continued to improve. I did not make drastic diet changes as someone suggested, but simply eliminated "white foods" such as white flour foods, white rice, white potatoes, etc., sodas, candies, etc. - there was no reason to eliminate animal products, since they don't cause diabetes.

To make a long story short, don't wait on some magic technology or fitness device to begin improving your health - change the lifestyle that caused the medical problems.  If you want a free pedometer or a free blood glucose sugar tester, attend a health fair in your local community - there are always vendors there giving them away - but don't count on them to help you change your lifestyle.

[jazzybelle]

sounds like a great idea!  And if it doesnt come to fruition, there are cheaper step counting devices on the market!  you can even check groupon!  

good luck!

[WavyDavey]

@USAF-Larryis totally correct. In less than a year my diabetes reversed with weight training and HIIT. The biggest problem I had was low sugar due to the medication expecting high sugar and lowering it too much when the underlying problem was no longer active. Now I can't take any diabetes medication. My doctor was impressed.