TU Zdrowie is a partner of the Jubilee Walkathon

The NEUCA Walkathon for Health is organized for the 10th time. As every year, the idea of the event is prevention and health education. This time special attention will be paid to diabetes diagnostics and education.

- Diabetes diagnostics and education are part of our pro-health activities, that’s why we accepted the invitation of the NEUCA Foundation for Health to participate in the event without any hesitation - says Teresa Domańska, Director of the Health Insurance Office of TU Zdrowie. Providing health insurance to over 170 thousand people in Poland, we observe the growing scale of needs in the prevention and treatment of diabetes. The conclusion of these observations is the My Dietitian program we have developed – specifically designed for people diagnosed with type II diabetes.

The scale of this year’s event will be incomparable to previous years. As part of the Walkathon, three major actions promoting physical activity and a healthy lifestyle have been planned.

The first of them – “Move for health” – aims to activate Poles and encourage them to go out more often and burn calories. In order to participate, all you have to do is visit the website: www.neucadlazdrowia.pl, fill in the form and download the application “Rusz się po zdrowie” (Go for your health). The application will allow us to register physical activity (walking, marching with sticks, riding a bike, roller skates or skateboarding), and then will convert kilometers into sugar cubes burned. The points collected in the application will be exchangeable for anniversary prizes. The campaign starts on September 11 and will end on October 10, 2021.

The second element of the Walkathon 2021 will be the Blue Town, which will take place on September 11, 2021 (Saturday) on the New Town Market Square in Toruń. As in previous years, the Foundation will prepare the largest mobile clinic in the region, where, free of charge and maintaining all sanitary conditions, you will be able to take advantage of several preventive examinations.

- Last year’s action, during which during one day at the New Town Market Square in Toruń we examined 1200 people, showed us how much patients need safe and quick access to specialists and prophylaxis – says Bogusława Golus-Jankowska from the NEUCA Foundation for Health. In response to this need, we plan to screen 3,000 people during this year’s 10th edition of the NEUCA Walkathon for Health.

In order to stay in line with all safety recommendations, the tests will be available after signing up by filling out a form at www.neucadlazdrowia.pl or by using the “Move for Health” application. Those willing will be able to sign up for:

- ECG

- Spirometry

- Densitometry

- Breast examination for breast cancer

- Hearing test

- Examination of nevi for melanoma

- Check lipid profile, blood sugar levels, blood saturation and blood pressure levels

- Get medical consultations, as well as consultations with a dietitian and physiotherapist

- Learn how to examine your breasts, testicles and prostate using professional phantoms

- Fall prevention action

TU Zdrowie will be represented at the Blue City by a nutritionist, Katarzyna Lichosik, who will conduct individual 15-minute consultations during the event, during which body composition analysis will be performed.

- From the results of the measurements the patient will learn how he is built, what is the content of muscle tissue, fat tissue and will get to know a lot of other valuable information about his body. The data provided allows you to track health risks. Thanks to them, it is possible to precisely indicate which diet will be the most beneficial - explains Katarzyna Lichosik.

On the same day, in addition to the Blue Town, the residents of Toruń and the surrounding area will be able to take part in another attraction – a city game in which they will be able to win attractive prizes. Details of the game will be published on the NEUCA Foundation for Health profile on Facebook.

The third component of the event will be a series of free diabetes screenings for the residents of the entire Kujawsko-Pomorskie province. The tests will be conducted in so-called glucobuses, where patients will be able to check their blood glucose levels and lipid profile, and will also learn to what extent they are at risk of diabetes, its complications and treatment options.

At the time of diagnosis, patients with diabetes should actually change their diet immediately. This is not easy, because sometimes this change can be radical. And the life of a diabetic is a whole list of recommendations and an eternal struggle with temptations. That’s why education and support from a dietitian is so important, who will not only explain how to compose a diet, but also will show the benefits of healthier eating and more active lifestyle - adds Katarzyna Lichosik from TU Zdrowie.

Diabetes is a lifestyle disease which affects people of all ages and requires constant monitoring. People affected by this disease require professional care, treatment and a specialized diet to prevent possible complications. In Poland, nearly 3 million adults suffer from diabetes, a number that may prove to be much higher as many patients have not yet been diagnosed.

Data from the National Health Fund show that in 2018, 2.6 million people in Poland had diabetes, or as much as 9.1% of the adult population. The highest percentage of cases was reported in the age range between 75 and 84 years old. Data from 2018 report 22,000 patients under the age of 18.[1]

The diabetes screening campaign will conclude on November 14 – World Diabetes Day.^[1]

[1] The National Health Fund on Diabetes, Headquarters of the National Health Fund, Department of Analyses and Strategies, Warsaw, 2019