Diabetes Awareness Month is observed in November to spread awareness about diabetes. Diabetes Awareness Month helps educate others about diabetes and how important it is to be knowledgeable on the subject.

Nov. 14 was made National Diabetes Day in 2006 as a reply to a global diabetes pandemic. This specific day was chosen to honor Dr. Frederick Banting, who discovered insulin alongside Professor John James Rickard Macleod at the University of Toronto in 1921. Both of them received the Nobel Prize in 1923 due to their discoveries.

Many people post about their experiences regarding diabetes on social media to celebrate and show awareness. Others show their support by starting or participating in fundraisers. According to the National Institute of Health, the theme for 2023 was “Take Charge of Tomorrow: Preventing Diabetes Health Problems.”

Alongside the theme, blue and gray are the official colors for Diabetes Awareness Month. Many ribbons feature these colors.

Diabetes can affect the lives of anybody, even if you don’t have them. That’s why it’s important to be educated about diabetes.

According to the CDC, “29.7 million people of all ages—or 8.9% of the US population—had been diagnosed with diabetes.”

For freshman Jochebed Lindarto, her dad has diabetes. That’s affected her daily diet alongside her checking nutrition facts.

“My dad has diabetes and that made me always check nutrition facts on food before eating,” Lindarto said. “I don’t need to, but it’s now a habit of mine. I also usually don’t have a lot of foods with sugar in them unless they’re snacks.”

Despite diabetes being a common issue, unlike other national months, Diabetes Awareness Month is not as well-known.

“It kind of sucks that [Diabetes Awareness Month] isn’t as well-known,” Lindarto said. “I didn’t even know about it until [I was] told about it.”