BRATTLEBORO — Meeting Waters YMCA and Brattleboro Memorial Hospital have teamed up to bring the YMCA's Diabetes Prevention Program to the Brattleboro area.
The year-long Wednesday-nights program begins Feb. 6, from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. It is available at no cost to participants thanks to support from the Vermont Blueprint for Health.
The YMCA's Diabetes Prevention Program helps adults at high risk of developing Type 2 diabetes reduce their risk for developing the disease by taking steps to improve their overall health and well-being.
“Providing support and opportunities that empower people to be healthy and live well is part of the YMCA's charitable purpose,” said Steve Fortier, executive director of Meeting Waters YMCA.
Fortier also is one of the program's co-facilitators.
“The lifestyle choices learned through the YMCA's Diabetes Prevention Program not only reduce risk for Type 2 diabetes, but also create lifelong changes in the way that individuals approach health and well-being,” he said.
According to Wendy Cornwell, BMH's director of community initiatives and its Blueprint for Health project., citing the Vermont Department of Health, an estimated 25 to 30 percent of Vermont adults have pre-diabetes.
“Most people with pre-diabetes are not aware of their condition. If left untreated, 75 percent of those with pre-diabetes will develop diabetes within 10 years,” Cornwell said.
The YMCA's Diabetes Prevention Program is based on the landmark Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP) led by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), in collaboration with CDC, which showed that lifestyle changes and modest weight reduction can prevent or delay the onset of Type 2 diabetes by 58 percent among those with pre-diabetes.
“We now have proof that lifestyle interventions delivered through community-based organizations such as the Y can save lives and healthcare dollars,” said Fortier.
The program provides a supportive environment where participants work together in a small group to learn about healthier eating, and increasing their physical activity in order to reduce their risk for developing diabetes.
The evidence-based program is delivered over a 12-month period, with 16 weekly core sessions then monthly maintenance. It is classroom-based.
The goals of the YMCA's Diabetes Prevention Program are to reduce and maintain individual weight loss by at least 7 percent and to increase physical activity to 150 minutes per week.
The YMCA's Diabetes Prevention Program class is at Brattleboro Memorial Hospital, 17 Belmont Ave., on Wednesday nights from 6:30–7:30 p.m. The program is facilitated by trained lifestyle coaches Steve Fortier and Susan Fortier from Meeting Waters YMCA.
There is no cost to participate, though qualification is required. Participants can not be diabetic, but must be pre-diabetic or at risk of developing diabetes.