‘Weight 2 Change’ class offers support on lowering diabetes – Wahpeton Daily News

Despite declining rates of diagnosis, the number of diabetes cases in America is still high.

In 2016, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported more than 29 million citizens are living with diabetes and 86 million are living with pre-diabetes, which increases the risk of being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and other chronic diseases.

Diabetes was the seventh leading cause of death in the United States in 2013 (and may be underreported), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states on its website. It is the leading cause of kidney failure, lower-limb amputations and adult-onset blindness.

Twin Towns Area residents can learn if theyre at risk for diabetes by taking the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions screening test. The test, available at https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/prevention/pdf/prediabetestest.pdf, consists of seven yes or no questions with point values ranging from 1-9, as well as a chart to compare when your weight is potentially too high for your height.

Residents with high scores are invited to join Weight 2 Change, a free, weekly one-hour class held by Essentia Health and the NDSU Extension office, Richland County. Starting Thursday, June 15, Weight 2 Change classes will be held at 1 p.m. at ComDel Innovation/Heartland Precision building 10, 2200 15th St. N. in Wahpeton.

This free 16-week series is a community-based wellness program that offers education and support to maintain a healthy lifestyle. (It meets) once a week with a lifestyle coach to learn about maintaining a healthy weight, choosing and preparing healthy meals and ways to increase activity levels, states materials for the class.

Requirements for taking Weight 2 Change classes are:

One of the following: a history of gestational diabetes, a doctors diagnosis of pre-diabetes within the last year or a score of nine or more on the screening test

Your healthcare provider can refer you to the program, but a referral is not required, said Deb Evenson, an administrative assistant with NDSU Extension.

Following the 16 weekly sessions, an additional eight sessions will be held each month.

According to the NDSU Extension, Weight 2 Change was developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and has a proven track record of preventing diabetes in people who are at risk.

Results showed participants who made lifestyle changes reduced their risk of type 2 diabetes by 58 percent, stated information Evenson shared. Participants age 60 or older reduced their risk by 71 percent.

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'Weight 2 Change' class offers support on lowering diabetes - Wahpeton Daily News