Why Offer a Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP) Lifestyle Change Program
About 1 out of 3 American adults has prediabetes—that’s 84 million
people. People with prediabetes are at higher risk of heart attack,
stroke, and type 2 diabetes. Type 2 diabetes puts people at risk for
many serious health problems, including:
- Heart attack
- Stroke
- Blindness
- Kidney failure
- Loss of
toes, feet, or legs
Fortunately, having prediabetes doesn’t guarantee a person will
develop type 2 diabetes. Type 2 diabetes can be prevented.
CDC-recognized diabetes prevention lifestyle change programs can help
people prevent or delay type 2 diabetes and improve their overall health.
In addition to the obvious health benefits, here are some additional reasons to consider
offering a DPP lifestyle change program:
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It's a proven, science-based program: Studies have shown that
people with prediabetes who take part in a structured lifestyle
change program and lose 5% to 7% of their body weight through
healthier eating and 150 minutes of physical activity per week can
cut their risk of developing type 2 diabetes by 58% (71% for people
over 60 years old). Lifestyle change programs can reduce the risk of
heart attack and stroke associated with prediabetes and improve
participants’ overall health.
-
Increased visibility and credibility to your organization on
the CDC website (upon program recognition from the CDC).
-
If you're an employer: You can help employees prevent
or delay type 2 diabetes along with the associated conditions that
can directly impact your business's bottom line.
-
If you're a healthcare professional: You'll increase
access to evidence-based, CDC-led chronic disease prevention efforts
and help patients improve their health through food and
exercise-related behavioral changes.
How to Start a DPP Lifestyle Change Program
Six steps to starting your own Diabetes
Prevention Program (DPP) lifestyle change program:
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Find room in your budget to make sure the program is adequately
resourced. Although Medicare covers CDC-recognized DPPs, many of
the nation’s 84 million people are not covered by Medicare.
-
Identify key staff members to administer and run the program.
Pick staff members who are good with people and comfortable speaking
in front of a group. Additionally, it is important to pick staff who
will learn the CDC’s training materials thoroughly.
-
Get trained to be a lifestyle coach. Sign up with a
CDC-approved training program. Click
here for more information on the CDC’s website.
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Download and organize the materials. The up-to-date
CDC-approved program materials are titled Prevent T2 and are available
online. Given the high volume of information, it is best to
organize the materials so that it is easy to reference for staff and
participants. Click
here for frequently asked questions about the Prevent T2
curriculum materials.
-
Locate a meeting space. Identify a location that works best
for your staff and potential participants. Consider proximity to
public transportation, such as bus stops or trolley stations, and
other barriers to access that may affect a person’s likelihood to
participate.
-
Recruit patients. Click
here for the resources from the CDC on recruiting and retaining
participants. For healthcare providers, consider pulling a list of
patients with prediabetes from the practice’s electronic health
records system.
For more information on the National Diabetes Prevention Program,
please visit the CDC's website at: http://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/prevention.
Also, connect with like-minded professionals through the San Diego
Diabetes Prevention Program Network. Contact us here.
