Diabetes Prevention Program

The Diabetes Prevention Program is a national Center for Disease Control and Prevention program designed to reduce the instance of type 2 diabetes in the nation. 86 million Americans have prediabetes but only about 10 percent know they have it. 

What is Prediabetes?

Being diagnosed with prediabetes means your blood glucose (sugar) levels are higher than normal – but not high enough to be diagnosed as diabetes. Prediabetes can lead to heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes, the most common form of diabetes. Prediabetes can often be reversed.

Who Is at Risk for Type 2 Diabetes?

You can get type 2 diabetes at any age, but you are at higher risk if you are older, overweight, have a family history of diabetes, are not physically active, or are a woman who had gestational diabetes.

What to Expect in the Diabetes Prevention Program?

The Diabetes Prevention Program is a lifestyle change program led by a trained lifestyle coach to help you learn new skills, encourage you to set and meet goals (weekly, monthly, and long term), and keep you motivated. You will meet with a group of 8-15 people in a small group setting where you will share ideas, celebrate successes and work to overcome obstacles. The program will be tailored to meet the needs of the group. There are two goals for the Diabetes Prevention Program:

• 5-7 percent weight loss
• 150 minutes of physical activity per week

Sessions will meet weekly for the first 16 weeks, then every other week for two months (four sessions), and finally monthly for the last six months for a total of 26 sessions. The program sessions will cover healthy eating without giving up foods you love, adding physical activity to your life, dealing with stress, behavior change (coping with challenges and getting back on track), setting goals, staying motivated and overcoming barriers. Each session will build on the one before it and you will be asked to track your food and physical activity each week. Each session will start with a weigh in, turning in food and physical activity logs, and a review of the previous week.