The Big Blue Test on World Diabetes Day
November 14 is World Diabetes Day. On that day, at 14:00 hours (local time), thousands of people with diabetes will test their blood sugar, do 14 minutes of exercise, test again and share their results on TuDiabetes or on Twitter.
The event is called The Big Blue Test because blue is the color associated with World Diabetes Day. It is based on a test-in activity that took place July 14, where more than a thousand people with diabetes tested their blood sugar at the same time and shared their results online. This time, the activity incorporates 14 minutes of physical activity to reinforce the importance of exercise.
Participating in this event to raise diabetes awareness on November 14 is easy:
1. At 2 pm (your local time), test your blood sugar.
2. Run, jog, walk the dog or do anything you’d normally do as part of your exercise routine for 14 minutes.
3. Test your blood sugar again.
4. If you are a member of TuDiabetes click on the home page banner and share your readings and what exercise you did between them. If you have a camera, you can also add a photo of your reading(s) or you exercising.
5. If you have a Twitter account, post your readings on Twitter (use the #bigblue hashtag) and link back to: http://bigbluetest.org.
We hope to see most readings posted at 14 hours (2 pm) local time, on November 14. If you are early or late, it’s OK.
What really matters is that you test your blood sugar often and that you exercise regularly. If you don’t have diabetes, you can still take The Big Blue Test. Regardless, tell others to test, exercise and share on November 14.
IMPORTANT:
If due to disability or medical advice you cannot exercise, naturally we don't expect you to do anything that will put you or your health at risk. We'd love you to participate entering your blood sugar readings.
UPDATE (Oct. 21, 2009):
If you work in media or have access to local media, please help us get the word out about the event, by sending them the press release attached below.
UPDATE (Nov. 1, 2009):
Here are a couple of banners (one static, one animated) that you can use to include in your blog. Please remember to link it to http://bigbluetest.org (which points back to this page).
Tags: awareness, bigbluetest, blue, diabetes, test-in, wdd
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Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Marie B on -
It really was exciting to be part of the test-in. Watching the results come in on Twitter was really cool. (just to make sure: 14 hours - you mean, 2:00PM EST)
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Permalink Reply by Manny Hernandez on -
Yep, 2 pm EST.
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Permalink Reply by Manny Hernandez on
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Marie,We've eliminated the EST from the time for the event. We're now calling on people to participate at 14 hours LOCAL TIME.
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Permalink Reply by Heather K on -
I admit I don't have a lot of time to look into the dertails on this Big Blue thing, but I'm confused. We had a big strom so no internet at home or office right now - I borrowed a friend's computer and service to shoot off my results (2 hours late, but I'm trying) but I can't tell where to log my results. I was 103 at 2PM Alaska time - I jogged around the lake in my neighborhood for 15 minutes and I was 102. If anyone wants to submit this for me - That'd be graet. Sorry to be such a lazy participant, but, I gotta run!
Thanks,
-h-
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Permalink Reply by Judith on -
For anyone who wasn't around for the last one: You're going to LOVE this! Reading everybody's posts from all over the world is delightful and often laugh-out-loud funny as the time difference impacts folks differently.
But I'm with Marie---is that 2PM EST?
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Permalink Reply by Zoe on -
Let me just get clear here, when you say 2PM "local time" you mean we are not all going to test at the same time, but at 2PM at our own local time?
Also, while exercise is positive and healthy, not everyone does it, some due to physical disabilities, some because they just aren't there yet. Also, at 2PM many people are at work and so may not be able to take 14 minutes out to exercise. Since we want this to include as many people as possible, not excluse, shall we make the exercising voluntary and just one test the standard?
Just my opinion.
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Permalink Reply by Manny Hernandez on
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Zoe,
Local time indeed. So all people in the same time zone will be posting at roughly the same time.
The good thing about the date that this happens is that it will be a Saturday so MOST people will be off.
If the person cannot exercise due to a disability, naturally they shouldn't. I will include a note about that in the original post.
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Permalink Reply by Zoe on
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Thanks, Manny. I hadn't checked the calendar to see what day of the week it is. I just didn't want anybody not participating because they don't exercise...for whatever reason. I loved being a part of the previous testing and will participate in this one as well by just testing and posting.
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Permalink Reply by George Simmons on -
Very cool! Count me in!
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Permalink Reply by Manny Hernandez on
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See? We had it all planned! :P
Just kidding: I am very glad too that WDD turned out to fall on a Saturday this year.
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