Radio New Zealand - Te Reo Irirangi o Aotearoa

Maori Party co-leader Tariana Turia has spoken about the support her family has given her in managing her diabetes.

Mrs Turia will go into hospital next week for a gastric by-pass, or stomach stapling, that she says will help rid her of the Type 2 diabetes she was diagnosed with 20 months ago.

The politician says her message to people who have family members with diabetes is to take practical steps to support them.

Mrs Turia says her husband, who does most of the cooking, has radically changed their evening meals, and her teenage mokopuna get out of bed at the crack of dawn to take her swimming.

She says the best management plans for those with diabetes will come unstuck unless they are supported at home.