TV’s “Biggest Loser” Kicks Off National Diabetes Tour in Altadena

The winner of TV’s “The Biggest Loser” reality show stopped by Webster’s Pharmacy in Altadena Thursday morning to kick off a national awareness campaign focused on the severity of diabetes and the critical role pharmacists play in diabetes treatment.

The campaign includes a 21-city bus tour called “Health across America: Pharmacists Partnering in Diabetes Care.”

Season 3 “The Biggest Loser” winner Erik Chopin, a type-2 diabetes patient who’s recently struggled with his weight gain, spoke about his experience on the show, provided tips on how to maintain a healthy lifestyle, and discussed ways that consumers can tap their local pharmacist for advice and new services to help prevent or manage this dangerous disease.

“I like to remind people about the importance of speaking to your pharmacist and including them as a trusted professional in your health care support team,” Chopin said.

The Health Across America tour plans to offer free diabetes screenings and educational events like this one at Webster’s Pharmacy in cities across the country.

Awareness is key because the Type-2 diabetes epidemic is continuing to rise in the U.S. and more than 24 million Americans have been diagnosed with the disease.

Chopin recommends that you “speak to your community pharmacist to find out about controlling your diabetes, and in many cases, he/she can give you tips on how to actually not have the disease, because you can prevent it all together with diet and exercise.”

David Sedrak, Pharmacist Spokesperson for Health Across America, says that there are many benefits of working with a community pharmacist.

“We are accessible to the public and our patients throughout the day. The things that we can get involved in with our patients is helping them first screen themselves to see if they have a potential developing diabetes, and also giving them recommendations on lifestyle modifications and exercise regimens,” Sedrak says.

Webster’s Pharmacy community pharmacist Michael Miller was at the event and said the public should realize that he is available to discuss any health issues you may have.

Webster’s Pharmacy is located at 2450 N. Lake Ave, in Altadena.  Call (626) 797-1163.