"Self-management" isn't a term doctors use much when they talk to patients about illnesses such as cancer or pneumonia. But when it comes to diabetes, self-management, with guidance from a medical professional, is key. Diabetes is a chronic condition involving blood sugar that affects more than one in 10 US adults. To stay healthy, most diabetics need to make lots of changes in their everyday life. These changes usually include modifying the foods they eat, getting more physical activity and checking blood sugar levels frequently. These changes sound daunting, but many diabetics have been able to incorporate them into their daily lives -- without giving up their favorite foods or changing jobs. Al Whitaker, a 54-year-old associate church pastor in Boston, was diagnosed with diabetes nine years ago, after he found himself too thin to fit into a suit he had purchased 5 days earlier. He had lost 30 pounds in eight months, but had avoided getting a check-up because he was afraid he might have cancer, and felt unprepared to cope. Instead, his doctor told him that his sugar was 4 times normal, and that he had type 2 diabetes, the most common type.