Preventing Type 2 diabetes
A free program on diabetes prevention is again being offered through the Cape Coral Hospital.
Part of the National Diabetes Prevention program, which is led by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the year-long program focuses on preventing or delaying the onset of Type 2 diabetes in people who have pre-diabetes. It is the second time that Lee Health has offered the program and course.
Annette McClenahan, a certified diabetes educator with Lee Health, explained that the program is targeted at people whose blood sugars are higher than normal, but are not high enough to be diabetic.
“Pre-diabetes typically advances to Type 2 diabetes,” she said.
The program has been shown to delay one’s risk of Type 2 diabetes by 60 percent.
“You can delay or prevent the onset of diabetes,” McClenahan said.
Seating is limited, and registration is required.
As of Tuesday, there were about a dozen seats available.
“We have about 13 openings left,” she said.
The group will meet weekly for the first 16 weeks, followed by every other week for the next two months. For the final six months of the program, participants will meet once or twice a month.
The first meeting will be held on Sept. 13 from 6 to 7 p.m. at the hospital in Meeting Room A.
“We address things from diet and activity, to stress management, behaviors, barriers to success,” McClenahan said.
Two goals of the program is a 5 percent to 7 percent total body weight loss and working up to 150 minutes of moderate activity per week. Moderate activity can be walking, swimming and such.
“It is led by a trained lifestyle coach from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,” she said.
Some weeks, the group may have a guest speaker.
Along with registering, there are certain criteria to be eligible to participate.
Participants must have one lab test reflecting pre-diabetes, a referral provided by their provider or doctor, and a BMI – body mass index – greater than or equal to 24, according to McClenahan.
“And no previous diagnosis of diabetes,” she said.
Participants must also be 18 or older.
McClenahan pointed out that there are certain risk factors for diabetes, including being over 45 years old, being overweight, having a family history of diabetes, having high blood pressure and more.
“There are 27 million people with diabetes, but 86 million with pre-diabetes,” she said.
McClenahan added that one in three Americans have pre-diabetes.
“Nine out of 10 don’t know they have it,” she said.
For more information about the program or to register, call 239-424-3127.
The Cape Coral Hospital is at 636 Del Prado Blvd.