Garnet Health to host free diabetes prevention program

Garnet Health is offering a free 12-month Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP) for qualified individuals. All classes are led by certified life coaches.

Garnet Health described DPP as a CDC-led “lifestyle-enhancement program” purported to help prevent or delay Type 2 diabetes. It is designed to teach individuals how to make better food choices and increase physical activity. It also provides ways to stay motivated, manage stress, and identify problems that can slow progress. Qualified participants will work together to achieve their goals, under the guidance of certified lifestyle coaches.

This in-person program will run for 16 sessions, beginning January 27. Sessions will be held from 3 to 4 p.m. at the Garnet Health Medical Center Outpatient Building, Conference Room 3B (707 East Main Street, Middletown, NY 10940.)

“According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one out of three American adults has prediabetes — and most do not know it,” said Shelly DeHaan, director of Garnet Health’s Diabetes and Nutrition Counseling Services. “The Diabetes Prevention Program at Garnet Health is research-based and proven to help prevent and delay the development of Type 2 diabetes. It effectively motivates and supports people with prediabetes to make practical, real-life changes, while reducing their risk of developing Type 2 diabetes by more than half.”

To be eligible for DPP, participants must:

• Be at least 18 years old.

• Be overweight (body mass index ≥25; ≥23 if Asian).

• Have no previous diagnosis of Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes.

• Have either a blood test result in the prediabetes range within the past year (hemoglobin A1C: 5.7%–6.4%); fasting plasma glucose of 100–125 mg/dL; two-hour plasma glucose (after a 75-gram glucose load) of 140–199 mg/dL; or a previous diagnosis of gestational diabetes or positive screening for prediabetes based on the CDC Prediabetes Screening Test.

To learn more about Garnet Health’s Diabetes Prevention Program, to register, or to see if you qualify, call 845-333-2705 or visit garnethealth.org/diabetesprevention.