(July 7, 2016) Snow Hill Volunteer Fire Company Second Assistant Chief Eddie Carman has gotten off the path to diabetes and is now working to steer others onto a healthy road.
For that matter, you have probably seen him in the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene’s “Diabetes Prevention Program” television commercial.
“After taking a desk job, I had put on a lot of weight,” he said. “The chance came up to take the diabetes prevention class — it was advertised as a lifestyle balance class.”
The yearlong class, which was sponsored by the Worcester County Department of Health, met once a week for the first 16 weeks, at which point Carman had improved drastically.
“At the end of the original 16 weeks, I had lost 30 pounds,” he said.
In an exhibit of motivation, Carman managed to lose a few pounds just before starting the class through one simple diet change.
“Two weeks before the class, I was 238 pounds,” he said. “I quit drinking sodas and by the time the class started I’d already lost eight pounds.”
After getting down to 200 pounds, Carman was still not finished, and over the next year worked to lose additional weight.
“I’m holding right now between 185 and 190. That’s right at the top of the healthy chart for me,” he said. “I would like to get a little more in the middle of it so I have some leeway for some holidays.”
The class helped with more than Carman’s waistline.
“Before I took the class, my blood pressure was 140 over 90,” he said. “Now my blood pressure’s running about 100 over 60.”
Nocturnal benefits were also were noted by Carman, who had experienced disturbed sleep patterns in the past.
“Now I’m getting about seven hours of consecutive sleep,” he said. “Before I took the class, I snored terrible, now my wife says I don’t snore hardly at all.”
The class, which originated from the Center for Disease Control, is offered at 40 sites throughout Maryland, Carman said.
“You can go on the CDC’s website and find it,” he said. “Something like one in three Marylanders are pre-diabetic and don’t even know it.”
Pre-diabetics have elevated blood sugar levels, but not yet to the point of level 2 diabetes, a condition that causes complications for heart attacks or strokes.
“Diabetes increases your chances of dying from that heart attack,” he said.
Since beginning the diabetes prevention class in January 2013, Carman, who had been diagnosed with high cholesterol, pre-hypertension, and acid reflux, has found a non-prescription cure to his ailments.
“I’ve got my diet to the point now where I’m not on medication for any of them,” he said. “I was on four different meds, now I’m not on anything.”
In the wake of his healthy makeover, Carman began to ponder helping his cohorts.
“I’ve been a volunteer fireman for almost 27 years and looking around and seeing the shape that the guys are in, I started talking it up a little bit,” he said.
His co-workers bought into what their veteran firefighter brother was pitching.
“I think it helped that they knew what I looked like and now I don’t look that way,” he said.
Shortly after launching a class at the Snow Hill Volunteer Fire Company, Carman started an inadvertent trend when inquiries from other area firefighters began filling his inbox.
“The word got out without me knowing it and the phone starts ringing off the hook,” he said. “Now the majority of county fire departments have the class.”
Since working with the Worcester Department of Health as a lifestyle balance coach, Carman has been instrumental in promoting the cause. Being pulled further into the public spotlight, Carman serves as the state’s diabetes prevention program television spokesperson.
His work has earned Carman a commendation from the county commissioners, who honored him for improving public health at its meeting on June 21.
While he made personal attempts to lose weight and improve his overall health in the past, Carman said the benefits of the health department course dramatically increase the probability of reaching one’s goals.
“When they sit down with you they give you an overall plan — ‘Ok, were looking at a 5 to 7 percent body fat loss and we want to get you up to doing 150 minutes a week of physical activity and we’re going to improve your eating habits,’” he said. “You learn everything from reading labels and portion control, and proper gear and things that can help you in this endeavor.”
Carman said the most important lesson the class teaches is self-accountability.
“What your doing is getting rid of bad habits for better habits,” he said. “Whatever effort you put in is what you’re going to get.”
For that matter, you have probably seen him in the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene’s “Diabetes Prevention Program” television commercial.
“After taking a desk job, I had put on a lot of weight,” he said. “The chance came up to take the diabetes prevention class — it was advertised as a lifestyle balance class.”
The yearlong class, which was sponsored by the Worcester County Department of Health, met once a week for the first 16 weeks, at which point Carman had improved drastically.
“At the end of the original 16 weeks, I had lost 30 pounds,” he said.
In an exhibit of motivation, Carman managed to lose a few pounds just before starting the class through one simple diet change.
“Two weeks before the class, I was 238 pounds,” he said. “I quit drinking sodas and by the time the class started I’d already lost eight pounds.”
After getting down to 200 pounds, Carman was still not finished, and over the next year worked to lose additional weight.
“I’m holding right now between 185 and 190. That’s right at the top of the healthy chart for me,” he said. “I would like to get a little more in the middle of it so I have some leeway for some holidays.”
The class helped with more than Carman’s waistline.
“Before I took the class, my blood pressure was 140 over 90,” he said. “Now my blood pressure’s running about 100 over 60.”
Nocturnal benefits were also were noted by Carman, who had experienced disturbed sleep patterns in the past.
“Now I’m getting about seven hours of consecutive sleep,” he said. “Before I took the class, I snored terrible, now my wife says I don’t snore hardly at all.”
The class, which originated from the Center for Disease Control, is offered at 40 sites throughout Maryland, Carman said.
“You can go on the CDC’s website and find it,” he said. “Something like one in three Marylanders are pre-diabetic and don’t even know it.”
Pre-diabetics have elevated blood sugar levels, but not yet to the point of level 2 diabetes, a condition that causes complications for heart attacks or strokes.
“Diabetes increases your chances of dying from that heart attack,” he said.
Since beginning the diabetes prevention class in January 2013, Carman, who had been diagnosed with high cholesterol, pre-hypertension, and acid reflux, has found a non-prescription cure to his ailments.
“I’ve got my diet to the point now where I’m not on medication for any of them,” he said. “I was on four different meds, now I’m not on anything.”
In the wake of his healthy makeover, Carman began to ponder helping his cohorts.
“I’ve been a volunteer fireman for almost 27 years and looking around and seeing the shape that the guys are in, I started talking it up a little bit,” he said.
His co-workers bought into what their veteran firefighter brother was pitching.
“I think it helped that they knew what I looked like and now I don’t look that way,” he said.
Shortly after launching a class at the Snow Hill Volunteer Fire Company, Carman started an inadvertent trend when inquiries from other area firefighters began filling his inbox.
“The word got out without me knowing it and the phone starts ringing off the hook,” he said. “Now the majority of county fire departments have the class.”
Since working with the Worcester Department of Health as a lifestyle balance coach, Carman has been instrumental in promoting the cause. Being pulled further into the public spotlight, Carman serves as the state’s diabetes prevention program television spokesperson.
His work has earned Carman a commendation from the county commissioners, who honored him for improving public health at its meeting on June 21.
While he made personal attempts to lose weight and improve his overall health in the past, Carman said the benefits of the health department course dramatically increase the probability of reaching one’s goals.
“When they sit down with you they give you an overall plan — ‘Ok, were looking at a 5 to 7 percent body fat loss and we want to get you up to doing 150 minutes a week of physical activity and we’re going to improve your eating habits,’” he said. “You learn everything from reading labels and portion control, and proper gear and things that can help you in this endeavor.”
Carman said the most important lesson the class teaches is self-accountability.
“What your doing is getting rid of bad habits for better habits,” he said. “Whatever effort you put in is what you’re going to get.”