{"id":83265,"date":"2017-01-09T08:26:50","date_gmt":"2017-01-09T13:26:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/?p=83265"},"modified":"2017-01-09T08:26:50","modified_gmt":"2017-01-09T13:26:50","slug":"vwch-offers-diabetes-education-program","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/2017\/01\/09\/vwch-offers-diabetes-education-program\/","title":{"rendered":"VWCH offers diabetes education program"},"content":{"rendered":"

Submitted information<\/em><\/p>\n

Van Wert community members are preventing type 2 diabetes together with the Group Lifestyle Balance\u2122 program, a lifestyle change intervention program offered by Van Wert County Hospital.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

\"VWCHPeople 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.<\/p>\n

\u201cOne in three American adults has pre-diabetes, so the need for prevention has never been greater,\u201d said Anne Dunn, VWCH wellness program coordinator and lifestyle coach. \u201cThe Group Lifestyle Balance\u2122 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\u2019s peers.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\u2122 Program groups meet once a week for 12 weeks, then once a month for nine months to maintain healthy lifestyle changes. The program\u2019s 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.\u00a0 Each session is led by trained lifestyle coaches.<\/p>\n

The Group Lifestyle Balance Program\u2122 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\u2122 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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

\u201cSmall changes can add up to a big difference,\u201d added Cindy Cook, VWCH education coordinator and lifestyle coach. \u201cWorking with a trained lifestyle coach who provides guidance, Group Lifestyle Balance\u2122 program participants make lasting changes together.\u201d<\/p>\n

People are more likely to have pre-diabetes and type 2 diabetes if they:<\/p>\n