A small group, ranging in age from 30 to 60, sit in the boardroom at Open Door Family Medical Center in Port Chester, NewYork, learning together, through their wellness coach, on ways to live a healthier lifestyle. On a recent day, the group discussed the impact of stress on their lives and learning stress-management techniques from the trained lifestyle coach.
The group is brought together through a recent diagnosis of prediabetes and the determination to prevent their condition from progressing to Type 2 diabetes. Each of these individuals has committed to completing the National Diabetes Prevention Program (NDPP), an evidence-based program developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Prediabetes is a concern because it is often a precursor to Type 2 diabetes, a disease that can lead to nerve, kidney and eye damage and result in amputation, visual problems and even death.
The coach emphasizes to the class that small steps can lead big changes. For example, walking for 15 minutes during one’s lunch break twice a week might be where to start. This may then become a habit that evolves to include walking 15 minutes three times a week and doing 10 arm curls with exercise bands, weights, or cans of food the following week.
“We go over goal setting and how to overcome barriers. Participants develop a plan for making better choices and taking better control of their lives,” said Alvarez, who has been working as a Patient Advocate and Wellness Coordinator at Open Door since 2013 exercise…,” he said.
Data shows that NDPP programs work. According to the CDC, participants who participate in programs like Open Door’s reduce their risk for developing Type 2 diabetes by 58% (and 71% among those 60 and older).
