Taylorville Memorial Hospital is teaming up with YMCA to offer a new diabetes prevention program. The YMCA Diabetes Prevention Program is a one year-25 class program designed to use moral support from life coaches and the community. Jenny Foster, the YMCA diabetes lifestyle coach, is coaching participants on ways to prevent a diagnosis of diabetes if they already have prediabetes.
Foster says they need a few more people to sign up as they have five right now and would like to add five more in the next month. The cost is $429 but if that is a struggle, contact the YMCA as they do have scholarships available. The eligibility criteria is that you have to have a diagnosis from your doctor of prediabetes.
The program has two overall goals: reduce body weight by 7% and increase physical activity to 150 minutes per week. The diabetes prevention program helps adults at high risk of developing type two diabetes reduce their risk for developing the disease by taking steps that will improve their overall health and well-being. Research by the National Institutes of Health have shown that programs like the YMCA’s DPP can reduce the number of new cases of type 2 diabetics by 58% and 71% in adults over the age of 60. For more information contact 217-287-7271.
