Chelsea-Area Wellness Foundation Offers 16-Week Course for Adults, Teens at Risk for Diabetes

The Chelsea-Area Wellness Foundation has partnered with the National Kidney Foundation of Michigan (NKFM) to offer an informational session about the upcoming National Diabetes Prevention Program (NDPP) being held in Chelsea.

The session will be held at 7 p.m. Jan. 9, 2013 in the conference room at the Chelsea Wellness Center, 14800 East Old US-12, and will give attendees information about the program. The informational session is free and open to the public.

In Michigan, it is estimated that more than 2.5 million adults have pre-diabetes. Diabetes is the leading cause of kidney failure, causing more than 40 percent of all kidney failure cases. However, type 2 diabetes can be prevented or delayed with a healthy lifestyle.

The National Diabetes Prevention Program is a 16-week program, which helps those at high risk for developing type 2 diabetes to adopt and maintain a healthy lifestyle.

Meetings are one hour and take place in a classroom setting, where a trained lifestyle coach helps participants to learn about behavior changes to eat right, increase physical activity, and lose weight. After the 16 sessions, participants will also meet monthly for additional support in maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

The program will be offered at no cost to participants.

To qualify for NDPP, participants must be overweight and at a high risk for developing diabetes, or overweight and diagnosed with pre-diabetes. In order to participate in the program, a doctor can tell you if you’re at risk through a blood test with one of the following results:

• Fasting plasma glucose between 100-125 mg/d
• A1c between 5.7 percent and 6.4 percent
• Two-hour plasma glucose between 140 to 199 mg/dl

A combination of factors such as family history, gestational diabetes, and high cholesterol are other factors that can increase the risk for developing diabetes.

Studies have shown that patients who receive a recommendation to self-management education from a healthcare provider are 18 times more likely to attend than those who do not get a recommendation.

For more information about NDPP and to find out whether you qualify, either attend the session or contact Matt Pegouskie at 734-433-4599, or email matt@5healthytowns.org.