When Americans, including diabetics, spend an average of only two hours a year with their doctor, is it any wonder that many diabetics are not coping successfully with their condition?

This article provides some helpful tips on how to do just that.

That's why in 2002 the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation launched the Diabetes Initiative, which supports 14 health centers across the country -- from rural to urban -- in creating diabetes self-management programs for minority and disadvantaged populations.

United Press International talked to Edward B. Fisher, Ph.D, the national program director of the initiative and a professor at the University of Carolina at Chapel Hill, about how his initiative is empowering people to take control of their disease.

Q. Why is there a need for this initiative?

A. There is a lot of research showing that teaching people how to manage diabetes through diet, physical activity, medicine and managing stress helps improve diabetes, health and quality of life. (Yet) that research has not been disseminated into routine diabetes care for the average American. (Many people) think good diabetes care is seeing an endocrinologist, getting your meds updated and being told you got to lose some weight. That's not helping them figure out how to put it together in daily lives. Diabetes is for the rest of your life -- it's not losing 10 pounds before your child's wedding. Folks are not getting this kind of care, not eating healthy diets and not getting diabetes education. The most unrecognized (aspect) is the problem-solving skills to put all that together in a busy world.

Be sure to read on for important advice.