Staff Report

Beginning in June, community members can begin preventing type 2 diabetes together with a free lifestyle-change method offered by Sansum Diabetes Research Institute and the YMCA.

Guided by trained lifestyle coaches, groups of participants will learn the skills necessary to make lasting changes such as modest amounts of weight loss, being more physically active, and managing stress.

The program promotes a collaborative, non-judgmental approach to wellness in a motivating environment, said Thomas Speidel, executive director of the Stuart C. Gildred Family YMCA in Santa Ynez.

Participants will learn how to eat healthfully, add physical activity to their routine, manage stress, stay motivated, and solve problems that can get in the way of making changes.

In the year-long program, groups will meet once a week for four months, then once a month for the remainder of the program to maintain healthy lifestyle changes. Together participants celebrate their successes and find ways to overcome obstacles.

One in three Americans has pre-diabetes, and these people may develop type 2 diabetes within three years if they do not take steps to prevent it.

“With the sharp increase in type 2 diabetes in our communities, the YMCA is very pleased to be partnering with Sansum Diabetes Research Institute in identifying members of our communities at risk, and working jointly to help people bring about life-saving changes in their lives,” Speidel said.

The Diabetes Prevention program will be offered at several YMCA locations, including Santa Ynez, Lompoc, and Santa Barbara, at no cost to participants.

The Diabetes Prevention program is based on research that showed that people with pre-diabetes who lost 5 to 7 percent of their body weight (10 to 14 pounds for a 200-pound person) by making modest changes reduced their risk of developing type 2 diabetes by 58 percent. Older adults experienced an even greater risk reduction.

People are more likely to have pre-diabetes and type 2 diabetes if they:

Are 45 years or older;
Are overweight;
Have a family history of type 2 diabetes;
Are physically active fewer than three times per week; or
Have been diagnosed with gestational diabetes during pregnancy or gave birth to a baby weighing more than 9 pounds.

To determine people’s eligibility to participate, the Diabetes Prevention program will hold a screening from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. on Wednesday, May 30, at the YMCA in Santa Ynez.

Other screenings will be from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. May 15 at the Santa Barbara YMCA and from 9 a.m. to noon May 18 at the Dick DeWees Center in Lompoc.

The test is also available at www.sansum.org and www.ciymca.org.

To learn more, call 805-682-7640, ext.221, or visit www.sansum.org.