Measurable Changes, Unlimited Support

If you’re at risk for type 2 diabetes, you can make small, measurable changes that can reduce your risk and help you live a happier, healthier life. The Y can help.

YMCA’S Diabetes Prevention Program

The evidence-based YMCA’s Diabetes Prevention Program gives you the skills and support needed to make lasting healthy lifestyle changes.

The year-long YMCA’s Diabetes Prevention Program endorsed by the Centers for Disease Control starts with 16 weekly sessions led by a trained lifestyle coach. This gradually eases to two sessions per month and then one session per month. In this program, you’ll spend the year surrounded by a group of supportive people with common goals who care about your well-being.

National Institutes of Health research has shown that programs like the YMCA’s Diabetes Prevention Program reduce the number of new cases of type 2 diabetes by 58 percent. With our program, you can be on your way to a healthier lifestyle.

Participants in this program will enjoy:

  • A safe space where you can feel comfortable sharing and learning in private.
  • Making new friends. You will support each other as you trade old habits for healthier new ones.
  • Working as a group. You don’t have to figure this out alone.
  • The new energy and confidence that comes with losing weight and reducing your risk for diabetes.

To qualify for the YMCA’s Diabetes Prevention Program, participants must:

  • Be at least 18 years old
  • Be overweight (BMI of 25 or greater)
  • Take a risk assessment or have qualifying blood glucose levels (A1C of 5.7% to 6.4%, fasting 100-125 mg/dL)

You do not need to be a YMCA member to participate in this program; registration is required.

For information on our current health management offerings, please contact Jennifer Donahue at jdonahue@fspymca.org. 

FINDING A HEALTHIER PATH: READ ELLEN’S STORY

“In the YMCA’s Diabetes Prevention Program, the instructor and the material started to stick. What stuck with me the most was when the instructor said, ‘you can count calories and fat now, or you can count carbohydrates later when you become a diabetic.’ I didn’t want to become a diabetic. I’ve had weight issues since I was 13 and this was the only thing that resonated with me. The program also included an exercise component and I started exercising, going to classes and it started to click; it made sense. It helped me lose weight, my doctor is impressed, my blood pressure went down and I no longer have prediabetes. Now, I’m trying to stay motivated. For those with prediabetes, come to the Y and listen to what they have to say. It might change your life for the better like it did mine.”