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NP Victoria
Pennsylvania Health America
The member has been diabetic since about 2008. When I asked
our routine question of, "Do you sometimes drink beer, wine or
alcoholic beverages?" she said, "I just drink pop. Pop, pop, pop."
What kind of pop?
At least one two-liter bottle of regular Pepsi or Coke daily, she
said.
That by itself is 246 grams of sugar! (The American Heart
Association recommends no more than 30 grams of sugar a day.)
But, it didnt stop there. Through the conversation, she revealed
she also drinks a lot of sugar-sweetened iced tea, apple juice and
eats lots of grapes.
She had diabetic education when her diabetes was first identified,
but she said her diabetic educator never addressed sugary sodas
or the amount she was drinking.
We discussed the sugar content of many foods and strategies for
eliminating sweetened items from her diet. She agreed to talk
with a care manager from the plan and I placed a care
management referral. I left some notes with her to discuss with
her primary care provider.
After all this time, she did not know she should not be drinking all
that sugar! Unbelievable. Something as simple as that!