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What is a Diabetes Prevention Program?

Diabetes is a serious health condition that can lead to heart disease, stroke, kidney failure, blindness, and even amputation. 


As a leading nonprofit for strengthening community through youth development, healthy living and social responsibility, the Y believes that all people should be able to live life to its fullest, healthiest potential. In the YMCA's Diabetes Prevention Program, a trained lifestyle coach will introduce topics in a small classroom setting and encourage participants as they explore how healthy eating, physical activity and behavior changes can benefit their health.

How Our Diabetes Education Program Works

The 12-month group-based diabetes education program consists of 16 core sessions (one hour a week for 16 weeks in a row), followed by 10 more sessions over the rest of the 12- month period. The program is led by a trained lifestyle coach who facilitates a small group of people with similar goals. 

Topics discussed include: 

  • healthy eating 

  • increasing physical activity 

  • reducing stress 

  • problem solving 

  • enhancing motivation


Program Goals:

  • Lose 7% of your body weight 

  • Gradually increase your physical activity to at least 150 minutes per week. 

You will do this by learning strategies for:

  • Healthy Eating — Eating smaller portions, reducing fat in your diet, and discovering healthier food options has been proven to help prevent the onset of type 2 diabetes. 

  • Increasing Physical Activity — Studies have repeatedly shown that moderate-intensity activity (like walking, swimming, dancing) for as little as 30 minutes, five days a week can help improve your blood pressure, raise your good cholesterol, and prevent blood flow problems. 

  • Losing Weight — It has been shown that reducing your body weight by even a small amount (as little as 7%) can offer tremendous benefits for people at risk for diabetes. 

Based on research funded by the National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the YMCA diabetes program has been shown to reduce the number of new cases of type 2 diabetes by as much as 58%. The reduction was even greater, 71%, among adults aged 60 years or older. 

 

Program Format

In a small group classroom setting, a trained Lifestyle Coach helps participants change their lifestyles by learning about healthy eating, physical activity, and other behavior changes over the course of a year. This is NOT an exercise class.Topics discussed include healthy eating, overcoming stress, staying motivated, getting started with physical activity, and more. 

Diabetes Program Information for Health Professionals

Through our expertise in chronic disease prevention, the Y can help you help your patients.

As a leading nonprofit strengthening community, in part through healthy living, the Y knows that in order to remain healthy, patients diagnosed with prediabetes often need to make lifestyle changes. We also understand that such changes can come with challenges, and that having a reliable support system can not only make adjustments easier for your patients, but also help ensure that they stay motivated.

The YMCA's Diabetes Prevention Program – based on research by the National Institutes of Health and part of the National Diabetes Prevention Program led by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention – is a proven, community-based disease prevention resource that can provide your patients with the support they need to adopt the behaviors you recommend to improve their condition. It uses a classroom setting and peer support to introduce and emphasize the benefits of:

  • Healthy eating.
  • Moderate physical activity.
  • Modest weight loss.
  • Staying motivated.

At the Y, we believe all people deserve the opportunity to live full, healthy lives. When you refer patients to the YMCA's Diabetes Prevention Program you can rest assured that they are receiving help and guidance from trained lifestyle coaches who understand the many day-to-day changes they are trying to make. We will work closely with them to make sure that their efforts are supported and that they develop the kinds of healthy habits that we know can help delay, or even prevent, the onset of type 2 diabetes. 

Partners and Community Organizations

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
American Diabetes Association
Diabetes Advocacy Alliance
 

Sources:

http://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/consumer/problems.htm
http://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/consumer/eatright.htm
http://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/consumer/beactive.htm
http://www.cdc.gov/nutrition/downloads/R2P_life_change.pdf

 

For more information about eligibility, program fees and registration, please contact Linda McVey

Email Us

440-574-0580
Am I At Risk? add remove

An estimated one of every three U.S. adults has prediabetes, yet just 11% of those with prediabetes know they have it. Prediabetes increases the risk of type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and stroke.

What Is Prediabetes? add remove

Prediabetes is a condition in which individuals have blood glucose levels that are higher than normal, but not high enough to be classified as diabetes. People with prediabetes are at high risk of developing type 2 diabetes, heart disease and stroke.

Can I Participate? add remove

If your physician has already diagnosed you as diabetic, you are NOT eligible for this program.

To qualify for the program, you must be at least a bit overweight and at risk for developing diabetes.

Determining whether you are at risk for developing diabetes can be accomplished in one of three ways:
1. Physician diagnosis
2. Blood test with one of the following results:
        a) HbA1c between 5.7% and 6.4%
        b) Fasting plasma glucose between 100 and 125 mg/dL
        c) 2-hour (75 gm glucola) Plasma Glucose between 140 and 199 mg/dL

3. A combination of risk factors such as family history, overweight, previous gestational diabetes, elevated cholesterol, advancing age, etc.

You do NOT need to be a YMCA member to participate.

What Participants are saying: add remove

"I don’t remember a life without diabetes and an awareness of my potential for diagnosis. I watched as my grandparents, mother, aunts, uncles and cousins struggled with the disease--and while experience was a great lesson, the YMCA’s Diabetes Prevention Program was the first education course to truly impact me."

"My life has been so positively impacted that several friends want to know what I’m doing that is working so well for me. The straightforward, simple preventative approach of counting calories, decreasing fat and increasing activity is easy to follow. It is put into easy-to-understand concepts that help me to focus on achieving a goal of lifestyle balance."

"I used to lay awake at night and try to figure out how to lose weight and lower my risk of getting diabetes. Thanks to the YMCA’s Diabetes Prevention Program, I now know what to do, am doing it, and am experiencing success."

“Thank you” is not enough to say, but it will have to do. Thank you."  - Donna N.