The numbers are in and they are very concerning:
- 38.4 million Americans have diabetes (29.7 million diagnosed and 8.7 undiagnosed)
- 97.6 million Americans (18 years or older) have prediabetes (1)
What is Prediabetes?
Prediabetes is a condition characterized by blood sugar levels that are higher than normal, but not high enough to be diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes (diabetes mellitus). Prediabetes therefore increases one’s risk of developing Type 2 Diabetes, Heart Disease and Stroke. (2)
Do You Have Prediabetes?
There are usually no symptoms when you are prediabetic, so you may be have the condition and not know it. To find out if you are prediabetic, complete a short quiz at DoIHavePrediabetes.org.
There Is Hope
If you are prediabetic, there is hope. Studies have shown that modifying your lifestyle and losing weight can help prevent or delay Type 2 Diabetes (2). The CDC-led National Diabetes Prevention Program (National DPP) is one such program that can help.
The National Diabetes Prevention Program (National DPP)
The National DPP was created in 2010 to tackle the growing burden of prediabetes and Type 2 Diabetes (3). The main aspect of the program is the lifestyle change program which provides:
- Group meetings for a year (weekly for 6 months, then monthly for 6 months)
- Support and encouragement with your journey
- Partnership with a trained DPP Lifestyle Coach
- An approved and tested curriculum (2)
Join me and GreenSpark Health as we team up to prevent Type 2 Diabetes using this program. For your convenience, our meetings are virtual so you can attend from the comfort of your home. To learn more about the program, visit the CDC’s National DPP page, or message me to join a future class.
References
- CDC Diabetes and Prediabetes Stats for 2017-2020. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/php/data-research/?CDC_AAref_Val=https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/data/statistics-report/index.html
- CDC Prevent. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/hcp/lifestyle-change-program/index.html
- The National Diabetes Prevention Program. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes-prevention/programs/index.html