Tuesday, October 28, 2008

The Cost of Diabetes

This article about the costs of diabetes was forwarded to me by Edward in Ops.

Here's the section that made me sit up in my chair:

Nearly 24 million Americans, 8 percent of the population, have Type 2 diabetes, which can lead to kidney failure, blindness and heart disease.

Current guidelines say doctors should prescribe metformin (about $30 a month) to lower blood sugar in newly diagnosed patients and urge them to eat healthy food and get more exercise. Other drugs can be added later, on top of metformin, to help patients who don't meet blood sugar goals. The updated guidelines don't include Avandia, which costs about $225 a month.

Dr. Susan Spratt, an endocrinologist at Duke University Medical Center, said she prescribes whatever it takes to lower her patients' future risk of blindness and amputations. That can mean coupling more costly drugs with metformin to hit blood sugar goals.


Ok... $225 for patients "who don't meet blood sugar goals"... to lower risks of blindness and amputation. Seems worth $2,700 a year. So does some change to diet and exercise.

For $99.95 - one time - Kathy Smith's Project You for Type 2 will help someone "meet their blood sugar goals" with exercise and diet. The American Diabetes Association saw the need for this type of product, and co-produced the program with Beachbody.

If you are a coach, this should make it difficult to sleep. Be relentless about getting the word out about this. RELENTLESS. People you know have diabetes. Or there are people you know who know people who have diabetes. Their are education groups. There are doctors. THEY ALL NEED TO KNOW THAT YOU HAVE THE SOLUTION, CREATED IN COLLABORATION WITH THE ADA!

This is the ONLY product of its kind on the market. We could give every diabetic in the country this program for $2.5 Billion - one time - versus the $12.5 Billion spent on drugs in 2007 alone! People can save $10 Billion -- $2,700 a year for each person who uses lifestyle change with this program to avoid stepping up to Avandia.

It's amazing to me that we are in this position, but lifestyle change really is that hard. That's what is so powerful about the effect of peer support; friends helping friends. That's how change happens. That's why you are the solution! Let's help some people!

6 comments:

amyomiller said...

Right on, Carl!

Beachbody Coach

Anonymous said...

Carl - I have been trying to find out if Type 2 is a repackage of the original PY, or if they are brand new workouts. I've had no response from coach relations. Can you please clarify? People who already have PY will NOT be happy if they order Type 2 and it ends up being a repackage. Thanks!

gobonas99

Carl Daikeler said...

These are the same workouts which Shape magazine called the "Best DVD's for beginners" in 2005, surrounded by all new collateral materials specifically created for people coping with diabetes. It's a great program for people who want to get a handle on this lifestyle disease.

Anonymous said...

Hi Carl,

I think this is one of BB's greatest offerings. When is the official release date? I know lots of friends (many of them doctors and healthcare professionals)who can refer to Project You as an adjunct to the pills and potions that have become the mainstay of diabetes management.

Sometimes, those pills simply don't work. I know because my mom died of complications, due, in large part to type II diabetes. But there are many people out there who don't have to.

By the way, I don't think it was any small coincidence that I wrote a post on my own blog about diabetes before I stumbled upon yours. Looks like I'll have add a post about Project You!

Thanks for spreading the word Carl.

Carl Daikeler said...

Kathy Smith's Project YOU for Type 2 will be live in the webstofre on Dec 3!

Pre-orders to ship by Dec. 1st!

Son said...

Great. Just in time.