LiveSmart: Take Charge of Your Health – Avoid Diabetes with the “Prevent T2” Program

[This piece was written by Lynn Sutton, RD, CDE, supervisor of the Diabetes Education Program at St. Peter’s Diabetes & Endocrine Care.]

Diabetes is a common disease that is now epidemic. In fact, one out of three American adults has prediabetes, and most of them do not know it.

Having prediabetes means your blood glucose (sugar) level is higher than normal but not high enough to be diagnosed as diabetes. Without weight loss or moderate physical activity, many people with prediabetes can develop Type 2 diabetes within five years. Type 2 diabetes is a serious condition that can lead to health issues such as heart attack, stroke, blindness, or kidney failure.

But, how do you know if you have prediabetes? A good place to start is to take the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) self-assessment quiz that can be found at http://www.sphp.com/dpp

If you scored a nine or greater on the quiz, or have previously been diagnosed with prediabetes by your physician, you are eligible to participate in a free diabetes prevention program sponsored by St. Peter’s Diabetes & Endocrine Care.

Our free, 16-week “PreventT2” lifestyle change program will help you make lasting changes to prevent Type 2 diabetes. The program offers:

• A CDC-approved curriculum
• The skills you need to lose weight, be more physically active, and manage stress
• A certified diabetes education/trained lifestyle coach to guide and encourage you
• Support from other participants with the same goals as you
• Follow-up meetings to help you maintain a healthy lifestyle

Our 2019 programs begin:

Thursday, January 24

Massry Center

147 Hoosick Street, Troy

2 to 3 p.m.

 Additional programs are set to begin:

Tuesday, February 19

The Everett Wager Senior Center

2 Roxborough Road, Cropseyville

11 a.m. to Noon

 

Wednesday, March 13

Albany Memorial Hospital

63 Shaker Road, Albany

9 to 10 a.m.

 

Wednesday, March 20

Capital Region Family Health Care

2 Empire Drive, Rensselaer

7:30 to 8:30 a.m.

Diet and exercise with weight loss are proven preventive measures against the development of Type 2 diabetes. St. Peter’s Diabetes & Endocrine Care can help you on your journey to take control of your health!

To register online, visit http://www.sphp.com/dpp. For questions, contact Kate Ratigan at 518-447-3548 or email Kate.Ratigan@sphp.com.