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November Is National Diabetes Awareness Month

Focus On Women With Diabetes: Kicking Off 'orange:will'

RALEIGH, N.C., Nov. 10, 2010 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- DiabetesSisters, a national nonprofit whose mission is to improve the health and quality of life of women with and those at risk of developing diabetes, is pleased to announce the launch of orange:will. Orange:will is a national campaign to establish a greater awareness of the unique challenges faced by women with diabetes and to encourage research and programming to address their needs. The campaign and its activities are housed at www.orangewill.org. The official kick-off event will take place this Sunday, November 7, 2010 from 2-5pm at Gravy Restaurant in downtown Raleigh, NC.

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20101103/DC93752)

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20101103/DC93752)

Women with diabetes face unique challenges and health risks. In addition to the everyday challenges of balancing work, family, and diabetes management, women also face the challenges of fluctuating blood sugars due to hormones during menstruation, pregnancy, and menopause. Women with diabetes are also at higher risk for other conditions, such as cardiovascular disease, depression, body image issues, eating disorders, and ketoacidosis, which are rarely addressed. In fact, according to J.P. Boyle, women will account for the majority of diabetes cases until 2050 (Diabetes Care, 2001).

"For far too long women with diabetes have been overlooked and divided into separate groups based on the type of diabetes they have. Now is the time for us to come together and make our voice heard," said Brandy Barnes, Founder and CEO of DiabetesSisters.

The campaign, a landmark grassroots movement, represents the sheer will and determination required for women to manage their diabetes on top of their many other responsibilities. It represents the idea that orange will empower, engage, and unite women with diabetes. For the first time in history, women of all backgrounds and ages with all types of diabetes (Type 1, Type 2, Type 1.5/LADA, Pre-diabetes, Gestational) will be united for a single cause.

Everyone is encouraged to participate in the campaign, online and in person, to show support of the 11.5 million women with diabetes in the US during National Diabetes Awareness Month. The goal is to make orange synonymous with women's diabetes, just as pink represents breast cancer and red represents women with heart disease. To support the orange:will campaign, simply upload an a meaningful orange photo at www.orangewill.org in honor of yourself or a woman you know with diabetes, wear orange during November, purchase an orange:will t-shirt at www.diabetessisters.org, and/or attend the orange:will Kick-Off Event on Sunday, November 7, 2010 from 2-5pm at Gravy Restaurant (135 Wilmington Street, Raleigh, NC 27601). Attendees will participate in a silent auction and other festive orange:will-inspired activities. Hors d'oeuvres will be served. To RSVP or to donate to the silent auction or to the cause, please email info@orangewill.org.

"Most people have no idea how vast the disease of diabetes really is. In fact, we lose more people to diabetes every year than to breast cancer and AIDS combined," said Barnes.

SOURCE DiabetesSisters