As part of the major nationwide educational campaign Diabetes & You: Step It Up to Get It Down, life and fitness coach Bob Harper visited St. Louis on December 6th to encourage people with type 2 diabetes to better manage their disease. Harper and a panel of diabetes experts convened by the American Association of Clinical Edocrinologists (AACE) developed the easy-to-understand and motivational 6.5 Steps Toward Better Blood Sugar Control. The 6.5 Steps underscore the importance of reaching the AACE target A1C goal of 6.5% or less for most patients through the cornerstones of effective diabetes management — eating healthy, being physically active, monitoring blood sugar, seeing a doctor or other healthcare professional, and, when appropriate, taking one or more medicines. To encourage area residents to “Step It Up,” Mayor Francis Slay has declared the week of December 3rd to December 9th Diabetes Control Week” in St. Louis, dedicated to improving blood sugar control for people with type 2 diabetes.  Dr. Charles Kilo, Sr. said that the program is “a great tool to motivate patients to partner with their doctor or other healthcare professional to take better health choices and bring their blood sugar levels under control.” Anyone interested in learning more about 6.5 Steps Program can call 1-877-6-5-STEPS or visit http://www.stepitupdiabetes.com.