By SUMMER ZIMMER
Director of Communications and Social Responsibility, YMCA

WARSAW — To help adults make lifestyle changes, the Kosciusko Community YMCA will continue offering the YMCA’s Diabetes Prevention Program, with a new class starting in October. The program is based on the National Institutes of Health-led, CDC-supported, Diabetes Prevention Program study that showed how eating better and increasing physical activity led to better health and the reduction of new type 2 diabetes cases.

Those adults at risk for type 2 diabetes generally have an elevated blood sugar levels that are not high enough for a diabetes diagnosis; however, are at the point where making changes can reduce the risk for that diagnosis. People with prediabetes are at risk for not only developing type 2 diabetes, but also cardiovascular disease and other chronic conditions. A prediabetes diagnosis doesn’t mean developing type 2 diabetes is inevitable, yet it should serve as a final wake-up call to improve health. Studies show that eating healthier and increasing physical activity can help reduce the risk for type 2 diabetes.

The YMCA’s Diabetes Prevention Program is a yearlong program consisting of 18 one-hour weekly classroom sessions, then six monthly sessions. A trained lifestyle coach helps participants learn strategies for healthy eating, physical activity and other lifestyle changes. 

The goal is for participants to lose seven percent of their body weight and increase their physical activity to 150 minutes per week. And that’s just moderate physical activity such as brisk walking. 

Visit https://www.fwymca.org/diabetes_prevention.php to learn more about the program and find about upcoming classes in your area.