KNOW YOUR RISK: NOVEMBER IS DIABETES AWARENESS MONTH

Learn about Susan Theriault’s success within in the YMCA Diabetes Prevention Program

November is National Diabetes Awareness Month and it’s a good time for people to assess their risk for developing prediabetes or type 2 diabetes. Following a year of reduced activity due to COVID-19, statistics show prediabetes rates are on the rise. Currently, 88 million American adults (more than 1 in 3) have prediabetes but less than 16 percent know they have it. In addition to the increased 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 type 2 diabetes diagnosis. To address this issue, the YMCA of Greater Nashua offers the YMCA’s Diabetes Prevention Program, which helps overweight adults achieve moderate weight loss through healthier eating and increased physical activity, potentially preventing or delaying the onset of type 2 diabetes.

The YMCA’s Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP) is a group-based lifestyle intervention for adults at high-risk of developing type 2 diabetes and has been shown to reduce the number of new cases of diabetes by 58 percent overall and by 71 percent in adults over 60.

Our YMCA has offered this program since 2013 and many participants have met with success in controlling their diabetes.

Here’s some feedback from Susan Theriault, a recent DPP participant, whose doctor was able to cut her blood pressure medication dosage by half. She attributes this to her success in the Y’s  DPP program!

“I wanted to share my thoughts about the DPP class. I started this class in January 2021. At first, I was thinking it’s just another class I will start out well and give up a couple months into it. However, that was not what happened at all. Actually, it has motivated me to do things I didn’t think I could do.

It has made me more aware of what I put into my mouth and how to increase my activity. It has also motivated me and made me accountable even when you’re not doing so well.

I absolutely love this class. It motivated me so much I started to challenge myself.  One of my goals I set for myself was to re do a room in my basement, for relaxation/exercise. I tore apart the carpets, painted the floor, painted the paneling and decorated it with new relaxing decor. I never would have imagined doing something like this until this class. I haven’t lost the weight, I wanted but I am so much stronger so much more active and I am not lazy anymore. I constantly am thinking of new ways to stay active. The class is small so I love that it’s not so intimidating. Everyone is friendly and non-judge mental. I can’t even believe the class is almost over.”

I have a recommendation that they continue this class for us so we can at least check in once a month or once every other month. I think this would be so helpful for are continued success. This would continue to make us accountable, weigh in and keep us on track with the holidays and other difficult life challenges. Give us motivation and support from each other and share are success. I truly loved this class and I’m so thankful for Eirikur Holt who has kept us motivated even when we all had a rough couple weeks during the summer holidays. She didn’t make us feel bad.  Instead, she supported us. We took a time out and had a class on catching up and redirecting us to start fresh that day. I can’t say enough about this and I hope more people take advantage of it. Thank you from the Bottom of my Heart Eirikur,   the Y, The CDC and all my classmates.”

The YMCA’s Diabetes Prevention Program, part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) led National Diabetes Prevention Program, is a 12-month evidence-based program that 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 to 7 percent and increasing physical activity to 150 minutes per week. Our YMCA is expanding the availability of the YMCA’s Diabetes Prevention Program (YMCA’s DPP) to eligible Medicare participants as a covered benefit,” said Kim Adie, the Y’s Healthy Living Director.

For more information about how to qualify for access to the YMCA’s Diabetes Prevention Program  contact, Kim Adie at kadie@nmymca.org.