Diabetes Awareness Month
YMCA OF GREATER WAUKESHA COUNTY
TAKE CONTROL & REDUCE YOUR RISK
Thursday, November 4, 2021
November is National Diabetes Awareness Month, a good reminder to talk to your health care provider about your diabetes risk factors. This is especially true if you have a family history of diabetes or are overweight.
Of the 88 million adults with prediabetes, less than 16% know they have the condition. In addition to the high risk of developing type 2 diabetes, people with prediabetes are also at risk of developing other chronic diseases such as heart disease and stroke. Prediabetes is a condition in which a person’s blood glucose is elevated, but not high enough for a diabetes diagnosis.
You can assess your risk for prediabetes and type 2 diabetes by taking a simple test. Through this assessment, you can also learn how lifestyle choices and family history help determine the ultimate risk for developing the disease. If a person is at risk, a diabetes screening conducted by a physician can confirm a diabetes or prediabetes diagnosis.
At the Y, we take a community integrated approach to improving health. Much of our focus is on healthy living programs like the YMCA’s Diabetes Prevention Program, which provides a safe and supportive environment where people can learn to change behaviors and potentially prevent or delay the onset of type 2 diabetes.
The YMCA’s Diabetes Prevention Program is part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) led National Diabetes Prevention Program. The 12-month evidence-based program features a lifestyle coach who helps participants learn tactics for healthy eating, physical activity, and other lifestyle changes during 25, one-hour classroom sessions. Long-term program goals include reducing participants’ body weight by 5-7% and increasing physical activity to 150 minutes per week.
Nationally, more than 68,000 people participated in the program at almost 1,100 sites in 40 states throughout the country. Participants who completed the yearlong program lost an average of 5.5% of body weight and completed an average of 168 minutes of physical activity per week.
For more information about the YMCA’s Diabetes Prevention Program, please contact Healthy Living Director Carley Hoelzel at 262-330-5192, or stop by your local Y during one of our Diabetes Awareness Month educational events.
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