Diabetes Prevention Program

In the YMCA’s Diabetes Prevention Program, a trained lifestyle coach will introduce topics in a supportive, small-group environment and encourage participants as they explore how healthy eating, physical activity, behavior changes and weight loss can help them reduce their risk of developing diabetes.

The YMCA’s Diabetes Prevention Program uses a CDC-approved curriculum and is part of the CDC-led National Diabetes Prevention Program.

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What is diabetes?

Diabetes is a chronic disease that causes blood sugar levels to rise higher than normal. Diabetes affects more than 29 million people. A condition called prediabetes occurs when blood sugar levels are higher than normal but not high enough for a type 2 diabetes diagnosis. More than 84 million Americans have prediabetes and are at risk of developing diabetes. Diabetes has no cure, but prediabetes can be reversed.

Program Goals

• Lose 5–7% of your body weight
• Gradually increase your physical activity to 150 minutes per week

Participants do this through:

• Healthy Eating – Eating smaller portions, reducing fat in your diet and discovering healthier foods can help prevent the onset of type 2 diabetes Opens a new window.
• Increasing Physical Activity – Moderate physical activity (walking, swimming, mowing the lawn) for as little as 30 minutes, five days a week, can help improve your blood pressure, raise your good cholesterol and prevent blood flow problems Opens a new window.
• Losing Weight – Reducing your body weight by as little as 5–7% can offer tremendous benefits for people at risk for diabetes Opens a new window.

Research has shown that YMCA’s Diabetes Prevention Program can reduce the number of new cases of type 2 diabetes by as much as 58% and by 71% among adults aged 60 years or older.

The Good News

If you believe you are at risk for developing diabetes, there is something you can do about it. People with prediabetes who make the kinds of basic lifestyle changes the YMCA’s Diabetes Prevention Program suggests—modest weight loss, eating healthy and regular physical activity—have been shown to reduce their risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

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Important Documents

Some health plans have contracted with local YMCAs to cover the cost of the YMCA’s Diabetes Prevention Program. Please contact your health plan to ask whether the YMCA’s Diabetes Prevention Program is a covered benefit for you, and if so, which local YMCAs are in your health plan’s network and able to accept your health insurance as payment.