Govt diabetes awareness programme
Posted: September 16th, 2017, 3:43 pm
Has anyone had any experience of the NHS's new "Healthier You" programme, aimed at spreading the word about Type 2 diabetes? I've recently had an automated circular from my GP, saying that although I definitely haven't got the condition, I am among the one in five people in the UK who are considered to be at risk. (I'm a stone overweight.) So will I please sign up for (>>fast forward>>) what turns out to be a nine-month series of thirteen 90-minute group sessions, at a location that's yet to be disclosed?
You'll have gathered already that I'm feeling slightly railroaded by this proposal, not so say a little bit nanny-stated. But not especially encouraged to hear that my local sessions are being run by the Reed employment agency. (WTF?)
First impressions weren't great. The girl on the telephone contact line had only very poor English and said her computer was telling her that Swindon was the same thing as Southampton. So where would my nine months of group sessions be held? Somewhere local to one of these two, apparently. (I am 70 minutes' drive from one and 3 hours from the other - this isn't going too well so far....)
Don't get me wrong, but I've got alarm bells ringing all over the place. Nine months? Blimey, I'm getting a mental image of something between a speed awareness course and a weight-watchers group, and since I don't have the condition anyway, I really don't see myself stopping work thirteen times to make a faraway destination, just so my GP can tick a box.
Look people, I can lose weight without group pressure - I've lost 16 pounds since May, 14 pounds still to go - and I've just come back from 100 miles of hill-walking, so I'm nobody's couch potato. Just send me the NHS info bumf and let's dispense with all those afternoons off work, okay?
Thanks for listening. Am I being unreasonable?
BJ
You'll have gathered already that I'm feeling slightly railroaded by this proposal, not so say a little bit nanny-stated. But not especially encouraged to hear that my local sessions are being run by the Reed employment agency. (WTF?)
First impressions weren't great. The girl on the telephone contact line had only very poor English and said her computer was telling her that Swindon was the same thing as Southampton. So where would my nine months of group sessions be held? Somewhere local to one of these two, apparently. (I am 70 minutes' drive from one and 3 hours from the other - this isn't going too well so far....)
Don't get me wrong, but I've got alarm bells ringing all over the place. Nine months? Blimey, I'm getting a mental image of something between a speed awareness course and a weight-watchers group, and since I don't have the condition anyway, I really don't see myself stopping work thirteen times to make a faraway destination, just so my GP can tick a box.
Look people, I can lose weight without group pressure - I've lost 16 pounds since May, 14 pounds still to go - and I've just come back from 100 miles of hill-walking, so I'm nobody's couch potato. Just send me the NHS info bumf and let's dispense with all those afternoons off work, okay?
Thanks for listening. Am I being unreasonable?
BJ