Page 164 - Nutrition Counseling and Education Skills: A Guide for Professionals

The goal of counseling is self-management.
Source: CDC/Amanda Mills.

The National Diabetes Education Program supports the work of the other organizations in diabetes
management and sets forth initiatives for comprehensive care. These initiatives and additional resources can
be viewed on its web site at http://ndep.nih.gov. Behavioral interventions, when used in the management of
diabetes mellitus, should be geared to the developmental stage of the individual in treatment.31 An
understanding of life span changes, that is, preadolescence, adolescence, and adulthood in relation to life role,
peer conformity pressure, eating disorders, and hormonal changes needs to be taken into account. A strategy
that is effective for an adolescent with diabetes struggling with peer conformity pressures may differ markedly
from the one that will be of assistance to a pregnant woman with diabetes. There is a definite need to
individualize interventions directed toward behavior change.

Cardiovascular Diseases

The American Heart Association (AHA) has established a definition of ideal cardiovascular health to include
health behaviors and clinical factors that should be met to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease CVD.32 To
be successful, the AHA advocates for lifestyle habits to include good dietary behaviors, physical activity, and

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