Kosciusko Community YMCA, in partnership with Grace College and the YMCA of Greater Fort Wayne, is helping Warsaw residents cut their risk of developing type 2 diabetes through the YMCA’s Diabetes Prevention Program. The program teaches people to make lifestyle changes that lead to greater health. Nearly 26 million Americans have diabetes and 79 million people have pre-diabetes, 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 pre-diabetes are at high risk of developing type 2 diabetes, heart disease and stroke. “The YMCA is dedicated to strengthening community, and the YMCA’s Diabetes Prevention Program is helping individuals in Fort Wayne and surrounding counties avoid developing type 2 diabetes by teaching them new behaviors that can last a lifetime,” said Wendy Spitznagel, Community Wellness director, YMCA of Greater Fort Wayne. “Through this program, the Y is equipping more people in our community with the tools they need to live a healthier lifestyle and, ultimately, improving the health of our community as a whole.” The YMCA of Greater Fort Wayne is one of 46 Ys nationwide participating in the YMCA’s Diabetes Prevention Program. By partnering with them, the Kosciusko Community YMCA is working to reduce type 2 diabetes in the community. The program is based on research funded by the National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that showed losing a moderate amount of weight and increasing physical activity lowers the risk of developing type 2 diabetes by 58 percent in people with prediabetes. The YMCA’s Diabetes Prevention Program is part of the CDC-led National Diabetes Prevention Program. Individuals who participate in the YMCA’s Diabetes Prevention Program take part in 16 one-hour classroom sessions with a trained lifestyle coach who helps them learn about healthy eating, physical activity and other lifestyle changes. Following these sessions, participants meet monthly for up to a year for added support in reaching their ultimate goals of reducing body weight by 7 percent and participating in 150 minutes of physical activity per week. Through lifestyle changes and modest weight reduction, a person with prediabetes can prevent or delay the onset of type 2 diabetes. Unique to Kosciusko Community YMCA’s Diabetes Prevention Program, there will be a healthy mind component in collaboration with local Grace College psychologists Dr. Joe Graham and Dr. Kevin Roberts. Roberts and Graham are currently involved in a research project studying how behavioral health interventions can affect the treatment of diabetes. Ninety percent of 150 diabetic patients receiving psychological treatment through therapy sessions showed improved test scores. In Fort Wayne and surrounding counties, 75 individuals have taken advantage of the YMCA’s Diabetes Prevention Program. In Kosciusko County, nine people are currently participating in the program. The YMCA’s Diabetes Prevention Program is supported nationally by UnitedHealth Group and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and is available at 46 Ys in 23 states.Visit http://ymca.net/diabetes-prevention for more information. In Kosciusko County this program is provided through funding by the K21 Health Foundation. To learn more about the YMCA of Greater Fort Wayne’s Diabetes Prevention Program, contact Stacy Thomas at 574-269-9622 sthomast@kcymca.org or Wendy Spitznagel at 260-422-6488 Wendy_Spitznagel@fwymca.org Program registration is ongoing, new classes will be Mondays, starting Monday, at noon at the YMCA and again Feb. 21, Tuesdays at 6 p.m., at Grace College.
