November is National Diabetes Awareness Month, and the YMCA of Coastal Georgia is helping people cut their risk of developing type 2 diabetes through the YMCA’s Diabetes Prevention Program, an innovative program that teaches people to make lifestyle changes that lead to greater health.

Programs such as the YMCA’s Diabetes Prevention Program that help people lose 5-7 percent of body weight through healthier eating and increased physical activity can prevent or delay the onset of type 2 diabetes.

When Donna Summers was diagnosed by her doctor as pre-diabetic, she knew she needed to take the steps necessary to prevent her symptoms from turning into diabetes.

“I have several family members who have been diagnosed with diabetes and knew that while this disease is manageable if there was a way I could avoid getting to that point I would take the actions necessary to do so,” said Summers, a participant in the YMCA’s Diabetes Prevention Program. “If you can prevent it, why not?”

Pre-diabetes is a condition in which individuals have blood glucose levels that are higher than normal but not high enough to be classified as diabetes. An estimated one in three adults in the U.S. (79 million people) has prediabetes, yet just 7 percent of those individuals know they have it. People who are pre-diabetic are at high risk of developing type 2 diabetes and other chronic diseases such as heart disease and stroke.

The YMCA of Coastal Georgia is one of 74 Ys nationwide participating in the YMCA’s Diabetes Prevention Program, a lifestyle modification program that helps people reduce their risk for type 2 diabetes by helping them learn about eating healthier, increasing physical activity and other behavior changes.

Studies show losing a moderate amount of weight and increasing physical activity reduces the number of cases of type 2 diabetes by 58 percent.

To learn more about the YMCA’s Diabetes Prevention Program and other healthy living programs, contact Susan Lindsey at (912) 354-5480 or susan@ymcaofcoastalga.org.