Cedar Rapids YMCA program aims to prevent diabetes before it starts

CEDAR RAPIDS - Kris Hale wanted to learn from her father's experiences. For years he suffered from type 2 diabetes. So when she had a chance to be screened for her likelihood to develop the condition herself, she took it.

'My dad was diabetic and became so later in life, when he was about 10 years older than I am now,” she says. 'I'm trying to prevent the struggles he had.”

A blood test revealed her blood sugar levels were higher than normal, just over the threshold before developing diabetes. She is considered prediabetic, and she's not alone - about 86 million Americans over age 20, more than 1 in 3 - are prediabetic.

Kim Jass-Ramirez, Cedar Rapids Metro YMCA Health and Wellness Director, says many people may not realize they're at risk.

'Some people maybe don't want to admit that they're prediabetic. It's all ages and body types and people that may have pre-diabetes. It's tough for some people to come to terms with,” she says.

Even knowing her father's history, Hale's test results came as a shock. But she says she's glad she knows, because it means she can do something about it.

Without weight loss and moderate physical activity, 15 to 30 percent of people with pre-diabetes will develop type 2 diabetes within five years. A program launched recently at the Cedar Rapids Metro YMCA aims to help more people keep from developing the condition.

Hale was one of the first participants to sign up, part of a pilot session that started in January. Future sessions will be scheduled depending on interest.

The initiative, part of a national effort by the YMCA, is based on a 2002 study led by the National Institutes of Health with support from the Centers for Disease Control. The study found that participants receiving Diabetes Prevention Program coaching to address nutrition and exercise reduced their chance of developing diabetes by 58 percent. For adults over age 60, the reduction was 71 percent.

Though the class includes membership to the YMCA, its focus is on regular meetings of participants, which functions as a kind of support group. Jass-Ramirez said that is key to the program's success.

'I think we know how to lose weight, so this is not just a weight loss program,” she says. 'What's different about what we're doing is the group support.”

She says class members help each other by sharing ideas, supporting each other and acting as accountability partners.

The sessions are classroom-based. Participants weigh-in confidentially, keep food logs and have a different discussion topic each week. They can use the YMCA membership to then work out on their own time.

'The focus they take is a coaching focus. They give ideas, but ultimately, you're the one doing it,” Jass-Ramirez says.

The program lasts 12 months, with 16 one-hour weekly sessions, followed by monthly sessions led by a trained lifestyle coach. Group members discuss topics such as healthy eating, exercise, reducing stress, problem solving and more.

By eating less fat and fewer calories and exercising for a total of 150 minutes a week, group members aim to lose 7 percent of their body weight and maintain that loss.

The program costs $429 for a year, which includes membership to the YMCA - membership normally costs $730 a year. Grant money is available to pay for some need-based scholarships, and some employers may purchase the program for employees if it falls into their wellness plans.

For Hale, the program is worth it.

'I'm just trying to be smart about it,” she says. 'I'm hoping it will give me a kick-start.”

MORE INFO

For more information about the classes at the YMCA, call Sarah Hoeger, associate branch director, at (319) 378-5955.