ORLANDO, Fla. – The YMCA of Central Florida wants residents to learn their risk for type 2 diabetes and take action to prevent it.
Nearly 26 million Americans have diabetes and a staggering 79 million people have prediabetes, a condition in which individuals have blood glucose levels that are higher than normal, but not high enough to be classified as diabetes. People with prediabetes are at high risk of developing type 2 diabetes, heart disease and stroke. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, it is estimated that 8.5-10.1 percent of adults in Central Florida are diagnosed with diabetes.
“This is a call to action for people in our community to learn about their own risk for prediabetes and diabetes,” said Jim Ferber, president and CEO of the YMCA of Central Florida. “Adults who are at high risk can turn around their health and reduce their chances of developing the disease if they take action to change their lifestyle. The YMCA’s Diabetes Prevention Program is proven to help them do just that.”
The YMCA of Central Florida is one of 48 Ys nationwide offering the YMCA’s Diabetes Prevention Program. The program is based on research led by the National Institutes of Health that showed that programs that help people lose a moderate amount of weight and increase physical activity reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes by 58% among people with prediabetes. The YMCA’s Diabetes Prevention Program is part of the CDC-led National Diabetes Prevention Program.
The YMCA’s Diabetes Prevention Program is a group-based lifestyle change program designed for high-risk adults. The program provides a supportive environment where participants work together in a small group to learn about healthier eating, and increasing their physical activity in order to reduce their risk for developing diabetes. Individuals who participate in the program take part in 16 one-hour weekly classroom sessions with a trained Lifestyle Coach. Following these sessions, participants meet monthly for up to a year for added support in reaching their ultimate goals of reducing body weight by 7 percent and participating in 150 minutes of physical activity every week.
The YMCA’s Diabetes Prevention Program is supported nationally by UnitedHealth Group and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and is available at 48 Ys in 26 states. Visit
http://ymca.net/diabetes-prevention to take a diabetes risk assessment and to learn more about the program.
To learn more about the YMCA of Central Florida’s Diabetes Prevention Program, please contact Kelly Prather at (407) 896-6901 or
[email protected].
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About the YMCA of Central Florida
The
YMCA of Central Florida is one of the area’s largest nonprofits committed to strengthening the local communities it serves. It is a diverse organization of men, women and children joined by a shared commitment to nurturing the potential of kids, promoting healthy living and fostering a sense of social responsibility. Each day 25,000 Central Florida residents are impacted by the Y when a mentor inspires a child, individuals make healthy choices and a community comes together for common good. In 2012, this YMCA Association of over 1,800 employees across 6 Florida counties impacted over 225,000 residents and invested, during a down economy, $10.2 million in its local communities through neighborhood improvement projects. Also, this Y provided $9.2 million in financial assistance to children and families that resulted in lasting personal and social change.
About the Y
The Y is one of the nation’s leading nonprofits strengthening communities through youth development, healthy living and social responsibility. Across the U.S., 2,700 Ys engage 21 million men, women and children – regardless of age, income or background – to nurture the potential of children and teens, improve the nation’s health and well-being, and provide opportunities to give back and support neighbors. Anchored in more than 10,000 communities, the Y has the long-standing relationships and physical presence not just to promise, but to deliver, lasting personal and social change. ymca.net
CONTACT:
Amanda Forbes Mestdagh, APR
407-849-0100
[email protected]