PARTICIPANTS ALREADY REDUCING THEIR RISK OF DIABETES
Responding to high community need, your Y started two new diabetes prevention classes this winter to accommodate the number of people seeking support. Along with another class that began last fall, there are currently 37 people changing their lives through the YMCA’s Diabetes Prevention Program. The Eugene Family YMCA has started 28 individual year-long classes since 2011.
Research shows that programs like this reduce the number of new cases of type 2 diabetes by 71 percent in people over 60 years old. This is important because more than 50 percent of older adults have prediabetes and 90 percent aren’t aware of it.
YMCA’s Diabetes Prevention Program gives participants the tools and support they need to reduce their risk of diabetes. Within the first six months, the participants’ goals are to lose 7 percent of their starting weight and increase physical activity to 150 minutes per week.
The YMCA’s Diabetes Prevention Program is part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Diabetes Prevention Program. For more information, visit eugeneymca.org/diabetes.
