Ohio University employees will be able to reduce their risk for Type 2 diabetes under the National Diabetes Prevention program.
The program begins this month and is covered under the university’s health benefits plan.
OU’s program is yearlong and based off a 2002 study that determined lifestyle changes could decrease the chance of developing diabetes in those diagnosed with pre-diabetes.
Pre-diabetes is a condition in which glucose levels are higher than normal, but not dramatic enough for a person to be diagnosed with diabetes, according to the National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse.
Type 2 diabetes, which is more common than Type 1, occurs when a person’s body doesn’t use insulin properly, according to the American Diabetes Association.
OU’s program is a collaboration between OU’s Diabetes Institute and the University Medical Associates Diabetes/Endocrine that was launched in 2013.
Karen Bailey, a certified diabetes educator at the center, said that so far the results have been good.
“So far we have had one cohort graduate the program and have three cohorts in progress. Our average weight loss at the end of the program is 12.7 pounds per person,” Bailey said.
The program begins with 16 consecutive, weekly meetings that are split into two parts. The first part is an hour-long class on lifestyle changes and strategies to live a more healthy life.
“During that first hour they learn to track food intake and weight and progress,” Bailey said. “We also go over emotional strategies. A lot of times people have a negative thought process about weight loss but we talk about staying positive.”
For the last 30 minutes, the group does some sort of physical activity together, often led by an exercise physiology student from OU.
The activities range from walking outside to doing Zumba. Those who completed the program decreased their chances of developing Type 2 diabetes by 58 percent, according to the study.
The university provides a link to a questionnaire that determines a person’s risk for pre-diabetes.
People more at risk include those over the age of 65 and those who have a relative with diabetes.
About one in four people aged 20 years or older have pre-diabetes, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
“We work to find, in your own way, what you can afford and what you have time to do, but you have to do it,” Bailey said.
om896212@ohiou.edu
This article appeared in print under the headline "OU to support diabetes prevention"
