CHARLESTON, W.Va. — A Florida man wants to create a dialogue worldwide about diabetes.
“The main message is to get tested and to have the conversation whether it be with friends, family or anything else and to understand that the earlier you find out one way or another, the better,” said Neville Lee, founder and CEO of 2 Wheels, 1 Cause organization.
Lee, a Type 2 diabetic, was at Charleston’s Clay Center Monday as part of his international tour to spread awareness about diabetes.
“I want to show people that though you might have diabetes or anything else that you can still live a full life,” he said.
Lee travels the world on his motorcycle. He’s been all around the nation and has been to two countries to speak with students about healthy living.
On Monday, local diabetes groups including the CAMC Outpatient Diabetes Education, the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, HealthSmart and the American Diabetes Association were on hand to provide information about the disease.
It’s important to talk about the disease early on, Lee said.
“We want, for those 70 million that are in pre-diabetic status to understand their status and get tested,” he said. “For the 30 million Americans that are diabetic, we want to talk about quality of life and make sure that they maximize that quality of life.”
According to the ADA, nearly 1.4 million Americans are diagnosed with diabetes every year.
In 2012, the United States spent more than $245 billion health care dollars on treating diabetes.
As a diabetic, Lee said it’s important to monitor your food intake and exercise.
“It’s just about managing and what you’re burning, what your intake is and, for parents, to understand that same thing for their children as well,” he said.
For more information about the 2 Wheels, 1 Cause movement, visit their Facebook page.