Spectrum Health offering Diabetes Prevention Program

Free programs help high risk individuals delay or prevent Type 2 diabetes

Big Rapids and Reed City, Mich., Feb. 13, 2018 – Spectrum Health is offering a free program to help community members diagnosed with prediabetes or those who may be at high risk for developing Type 2 diabetes.

One in three adults in the U.S.—which accounts for more than 84 million people—have prediabetes. In the last 20 years, the diagnosis rate of diabetes has tripled to include more than 30 million Americans. Diabetes presents a risk for serious health problems such as heart attack, stroke and kidney failure. However, with lifestyle changes the diagnosis of Type 2 diabetes can often be delayed or even prevented.

The Spectrum Health Diabetes Education team will facilitate two Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP) sessions for the community to help make those lifestyle changes. The first program will be held at Spectrum Health Big Rapids Hospital starting in March, with the second at Spectrum Health Reed City Hospital in May. Groups meet for a year — weekly for the first 16 sessions, then monthly for 6 to 8 months to maintain the skills they have learned.

Travis Stenger, health coach at Spectrum Health, will be facilitating the DPP for 2019.

“It is important to have a program like this as a resource to individuals in our community with a risk of diabetes,” Stenger said. “It will help them learn how to prevent or delay that diagnosis and support each other in making those lifestyle changes.”

Darlene Green, a former program participant, echoes the usefulness of this program. She lost approximately forty pounds as a result of the program.

“I would recommend this program to anyone,” Green said. “Before I started it, I was eating for taste and not for health. I saw a road ahead of me of gain, gain, gain, but now I feel good about myself.”

The Big Rapids Hospital program will begin March 19, and the Reed City Hospital program will begin May 8. For more information or to register for the program, call 231.832.6636.

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Contact:
David Dunkelberg
Communications Specialist
Office: 231.592.4489
Mobile: 586.610.0830
Email: david.dunkelberg@spectrumhealth.org