Tuesday, March 27, is American Diabetes Association (ADA) Alert Day, and with millions of Americans at risk for prediabetes and type 2 diabetes, the Y urges residents throughout Will and Grundy Counties to learn their risk and take action to prevent the disease.

In the United States alone, diabetes affects over 30 million people; another 84 million Americans have prediabetes, yet only about 10 percent are aware of it. These statistics are alarming, and the impact on the cost of healthcare (in 2012 alone, the ADA estimates that diabetes cost the health care system $245 billion) makes preventing the number of new cases of type 2 diabetes more important than ever before.

The nation’s struggle with obesity and type 2 diabetes is no surprise but the number of people with prediabetes is a growing issue, especially when so few people realize they have the condition. Prediabetes is a condition in which individuals have blood glucose levels that are higher than normal, but not high enough to be classified as diabetes.

Often preventable, people with prediabetes can reduce their risk for developing type 2 diabetes by adopting behavior changes that include eating healthier and increasing physical activity. People with prediabetes are at risk for not only developing type 2 diabetes but also cardiovascular disease, stroke and other conditions.

The Y encourages all adults to take a diabetes risk test at www.ymca.net/diabetes. Several factors that could put a person at risk for type 2 diabetes include family history, age, weight and activity level, among others.

TAKE CHARGE OF YOUR HEALTH

The Greater Joliet Area YMCA has programs designed for those at risk for developing prediabetes and those who have been diagnosed with diabetes.

• Diabetes Prevention Program — A yearlong program featuring a CDC-approved curriculum that helps prediabetics lose weight, gain energy, reduce their risk for diabetes and improve their overall health.
• Diabetes Self-Management Program — A FREE 7-week program that provides valuable information and tools for self-managing diabetes.

To learn more about diabetes-related programming, please contact Susan Krause at [email protected] or (815) 267-8600, ext. 214.

Knowing the risk factors for prediabetes, a condition that could lead to type 2 diabetes, heart disease or stroke, could save your life. Of the 86 million people around the U.S. who are prediabetic, nine out of 10 don’t even know it. All it takes is 30 seconds to find out if you’re at risk.

Six months ago, it became clear to YMCA Member Lynn Pierceall that she was at risk. Her weight, after “boomeranging” for years, had plateaued and become a health issue. Poor eating habits and low levels of physical activity were to blame.

Her family history caused an even bigger concern. Two of Lynn’s siblings had already been diagnosed with diabetes. According to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, having a family history of diabetes places you at increased risk for developing type 2 diabetes.

Lynn took action by joining the YMCA’s Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP), which provides those at risk with the skills and support they need to make a lasting lifestyle change.

Within a classroom setting, DPP participants learn tips and have group discussions about healthy eating, increasing physical activity and losing weight. Over the course of a year, their goal is to gradually lose seven percent of their body weight and increase their physical activity to 150 minutes per week.

Since starting the program in February, Lynn has lowered her Body Mass Index (BMI) considerably. She adopted healthier eating habits by checking labels for unhealthy ingredients and high fat content, eating smaller proportions and tracking meals with MyFitnessPal. She even became an active exerciser. Lynn and her peers would often arrive at meetings early and walk together.

Because of these efforts, Lynn has made significant strides in reducing her risk of developing prediabetes and diabetes. In fact, she is now healthy enough to take what she calls “the trip of a lifetime.” In October, she and her sister will embark on a “Viking River Cruise” across Europe. Starting in Switzerland, they’ll coast up the Rhine River, make pitstops in Germany and France and end in the Netherlands.

Lynn used to worry she wouldn’t have the strength to take part in the cruise’s extracurricular activities, hiking especially. But thanks to the Y’s Diabetes Prevention Program, she no longer worries. Instead, she eagerly awaits the challenge.