The American Diabetes Association designates the fourth Tuesday in March annually as American Diabetes Association Alert Day®. This day serves as a powerful reminder, described by the organization as a “one-day wake-up call.” It is a call to action for individuals to proactively manage their health and evaluate their risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
There are a couple of ways individuals can assess their risk for type 2 diabetes. First, they can consult their primary care provider and request for an A1C blood test, which measures their average blood sugar levels over the past few months. If the A1C reading falls between 5.7% and 6.4%, it indicates the “prediabetes” range, where blood values are elevated but not yet at diabetic levels. This signals the need for action! Second, individuals can complete a CDC risk assessment, which includes questions about family history, BMI, age, activity level, and more. This assessment provides a score that can also prompt the individual to take control of their health.
If an individual, in collaboration with their healthcare provider, recognizes the need for proactive measures, a program such as the YMCA’s Diabetes Prevention Program can be incredibly beneficial! The YMCA’s Diabetes Prevention Program focuses on lifestyle modifications. It offers an evidence-based curriculum aimed at empowering participants to make sustainable, healthy changes that they can maintain for life. Participants commit to a year-long journey with a group of 8-15 other participants, guided by a certified Lifestyle Coach. Together, they navigate each session with the coach’s support and the camaraderie of the group.
The program covers a wide range of topics each week, including becoming more physically active, monitoring food intake, understanding energy balance, adopting a health-supportive diet, managing stress, making healthy choices outside the home, and more! These discussions revolve around the program’s primary objectives: achieving a seven-percent reduction in body weight and reaching 150 minutes of physical activity per week. Research has demonstrated that these lifestyle changes can prevent or delay the onset of type 2 diabetes.
Over the years Old Colony Y has seen incredible success in our participants! From couples losing weight together, grandparents being able to chase their grandkids around again, individuals feeling hopeful about their future health, and physicians praising their patients for lowering their blood values.
One participant shares, “I began this program because I was concerned about my health. I wanted to prevent problems because of my family history of diabetes. In addition, I am caregiver for my husband and I need to be healthy. My A1C was 5.9, I had high blood pressure, high cholesterol and I needed to lose at least 11 pounds. After 6 months, my A1C went down to 5.4, my cholesterol down to 167 and I lost 13.2 pounds! I feel much better and my goal is to maintain or even lower my numbers. I now exercise on an average of 200 min. per week and I am even sleeping better. The Diabetes Prevention Program at the Stoughton Y provided me with a guide to eating better, reducing stress and losing weight. With the support of the coach and the wonderful people that I have met in this course, I hope to continue on this path and live a long, healthy life. This program works!“
Those who qualify and are ready to make sustainable, healthy lifestyle changes can contact their closest Old Colony Y branch to get connected to the YMCA’s Diabetes Prevention Program!
Community Voices for Health 