At risk for diabetes? Life changes can help you avoid it – Franklin Home Page

WILLIAMSON MEDICAL CENTER

Merle Sousa remembers watching his mother slip into a diabeticcoma, so when his physician told him last year that his weight was going to push him straightinto having diabetes himself, he knew he had to make a change.

Last August, he somewhat reluctantly enrolled in Williamson Medical Centers DiabetesPrevention Program and says what he has learned has completely changed his life. He has lost 48pounds, but has gained knowledge that he says he will take with him the rest of his life.

This program has been an absolute life-changer for me, he said. I will admit, I went into ita little skeptical, but within weeks I realized this isnt a weight loss program. This is aboutchanging your life so that you dont become a diabetic. You definitely lose weight, but thats notthe focus.

Williamson Medical Centers Diabetes Prevention Program has full recognition by theCenters for Disease Control and Prevention for its proven results in the fight against type 2diabetes, just like Merles.

This designation by the CDC is reserved for programs that have effectively delivered aquality evidence-based program that meets all the CDCs standards for recognition anaccomplishment that is earned by less than 10 percent of sites nationwide.

Once you have diabetes, you cant get rid of it, but if you have prediabetes, which is higherthan normal blood sugar levels, or if you are at risk for developing diabetes, you can prevent itwith lifestyle changes, said Sarah Neil Pilkinton, R.D., who is also a trained lifestyle coach anda Certified Diabetes Educator at Williamson Medical Center. People need to know they havethe power to change their outcome.

WMC is currently enrolling new participants in this free program. If you think youre at riskfor diabetes and youre interested in participating in the program, please call 615-435- 5580.

WMC began its Diabetes Prevention Program in 2013 after receiving a grant from theAmerican Association of Diabetes Educators and the State of Tennessee in partnership with theCDC. Since then, 106 people have successfully completed the year-long program and have lost acombined 1,134 pounds. Nearly half of the participants shed at least 5 percent of their total bodyweight, which studies have shown is enough to prevent or delay the risk of diabetes.

The CDC estimates as many as one in three people could have diabetes by 2050. TheDiabetes Prevention Program proved that participants who lost a modest amount of weightthrough dietary changes and increased physical activity reduced their chances of developingdiabetes by 58 percent, which is a better outcome than taking medication.

Common risk factors for diabetes include being 10 to 15 pounds over your ideal weight,having a previous diagnosis of prediabetes or gestational diabetes, or having family memberswith the disease.

The Diabetes Prevention Program provides a year of education and support with a trainedlifestyle coach for people who are at risk for developing diabetes but have not yet beendiagnosed with the disease. Participants gather in a relaxed classroom setting and work togetherin small groups to learn how to incorporate healthier eating and moderate physical activity intotheir daily lives. The program is led by a trained lifestyle coach. Over a one-year period, theparticipants meet weekly for one hour a week for the first six months, followed by six months ofmaintenance sessions.

Williamson Medical Centers Diabetes Prevention Program is currently enrolling anyonewho thinks he or she may be at risk and is interested in participating in the program. To registeror find out if you qualify for the program, contact the Diabetes Prevention Program at 615-435-5580.

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At risk for diabetes? Life changes can help you avoid it - Franklin Home Page