Program offered by Southwest Public Health District aims to end Type 2 diabetes

ALBANY — Southwest Public Health District officials said community members are now preventing Type 2 diabetes through the Prevent T2 lifestyle change program offered by the health district.

Guided by a lifestyle coach, groups of participants are learning the skills they need to make lasting changes such as losing weight and being more physically active.

“People with prediabetes — higher-than-normal blood glucose (sugar) levels — are five to 15 times more likely to develop Type 2 diabetes than those with normal blood glucose levels. In fact, many people with prediabetes can be diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes within five years,” Southwest Public Health District Epidemiologist Jacqueline Jenkins, who manages the Prevent T2 program for the district, said. “One in three American adults has prediabetes, so the need for prevention has never been greater.

“The Prevent T2 program offers an effective program to preventing or delaying the onset of Type 2 diabetes through modest lifestyle changes made with the support of a coach and one’s peers.”

Health district officials said participants learn how to eat healthy, add 150 minutes of physical activity per week to their routine, stay motivated and solve problems that can get in the way of healthy changes. PreventT2 groups meet for a year — weekly for the first six months, then once or twice a month for the remaining six months — to maintain healthy lifestyle changes.

“The program’s group setting provides a supportive environment with people who are facing similar challenges and trying to make the same changes,” Jenkins said. “Together, participants celebrate their successes and find ways to overcome obstacles.”

Prevent T2 is part of the National Diabetes Prevention Program, led by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Officials said Prevent T2 is based on research showing that people with prediabetes who lost 5 to 7 percent of their body weight, equivalent to 10-14 pounds for a 200-pound person, by making modest changes reduced their risk of developing Type 2 diabetes.

“Nationwide implementation of the program could greatly reduce 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,” Jenkins said. “Small changes can add up to a big difference. Working with a trained lifestyle coach who provides guidance, Prevent T2 participants are making lasting changes together.”

Officials said individuals are more likely to have prediabetes and Type 2 diabetes if they are 45 years of age or older, overweight, have a family history of Type 2 diabetes, physically active fewer than three times per week, have been diagnosed with gestational diabetes during pregnancy, or gave birth to a baby weighing more than nine pounds.

The Georgia Department of Public Health Office of Health Indicators for Planning said the health district had 1,542 emergency room visits related to diabetes in 2016. In the same year, the 14-county area had 998 hospital discharges and 190 deaths connected to diabetes, the OHIP database said.

To learn about participating in the Prevent T2 program, contact the the health district at (229) 352-4275.