VWCH offers diabetes education program

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Van Wert community members are preventing type 2 diabetes together with the Group Lifestyle Balance™ program, a lifestyle change intervention program offered by Van Wert County Hospital.

Guided by a trained lifestyle coach, groups of participants learn the skills they need to make lasting changes such as losing a modest amount of weight, being more physically active, and managing stress.

People with pre-diabetes — higher-than-normal blood glucose (sugar) levels — are 5 to 15 times more likely to develop type 2 diabetes than those with normal blood glucose levels. In fact, many people with pre-diabetes will develop type 2 diabetes within 3 years if they do not take steps to prevent it.

“One in three American adults has pre-diabetes, so the need for prevention has never been greater,” said Anne Dunn, VWCH wellness program coordinator and lifestyle coach. “The Group Lifestyle Balance™ program offers a proven approach to preventing or delaying the onset of type 2 diabetes through modest lifestyle changes made with the support of a coach and one’s peers.”

Participants learn how to eat healthy, add physical activity to their routine, manage stress, stay motivated, and solve problems that can get in the way of healthy changes. Group Lifestyle Balance™ Program groups meet once a week for 12 weeks, then once a month for nine months to maintain healthy lifestyle changes. The program’s group setting provides a supportive environment with people who are facing similar challenges and trying to make the same changes. Together participants celebrate their successes and find ways to overcome obstacles.  Each session is led by trained lifestyle coaches.

The Group Lifestyle Balance Program™ was developed by the Diabetes Prevention Support Center faculty of the University of Pittsburgh and is a modification of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Diabetes Prevention Program. The Group Lifestyle Balance™ Program is based on research that showed that people with pre-diabetes who lost 5 to 7 percent of their body weight (10 to 14 pounds for a 200-pound person) by making modest changes reduced their risk of developing type 2 diabetes by 58 percent.

Nationwide implementation of the program could save the U.S. health care system $5.7 billion and prevent about 885,000 future cases of type 2 diabetes, a serious condition that can lead to health problems including heart attack; stroke; blindness; kidney failure; or loss of toes, feet, or legs.

“Small changes can add up to a big difference,” added Cindy Cook, VWCH education coordinator and lifestyle coach. “Working with a trained lifestyle coach who provides guidance, Group Lifestyle Balance™ program participants make lasting changes together.”

People are more likely to have pre-diabetes and type 2 diabetes if they:

• Are 45 years of age or older;
• Are overweight;
• Have a family history of type 2 diabetes;
• Are physically active fewer than three times per week; or
• Have been diagnosed with gestational diabetes during pregnancy or gave birth to a baby weighing more than 9 pounds.

Van Wert County Hospital will be offering a new group Tuesdays at 11 a.m. or 3 p.m. at the hospital. Cost of the program is $249 and includes a Calorie King booklet, tracking booklets, participant booklets, an optional pedometer, support, and encouragement toward health related goals. Couples are eligible to participate for only $15 more.

An information session about the program will be held Tuesday, January 10, at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. at the hospital. To learn more about the local program, call the occupational and community health coordinator at 419.238.2390 or email info@vanwerthospital.org.