THE FAMILY YMCA News
Tuesday, March 27 is Diabetes Alert Day, and the Family YMCA wants residents of Los Alamos and the surrouding areas to be aware of their risk for prediabetes and type 2 diabetes and the preventative steps they can take today to reduce that risk. Currently, nearly 26 million Americans have diabetes and a staggering 79 million people have prediabetes, a condition where blood glucose is elevated, but not high enough to be diagnosed with diabetes.
While the nation’s struggle with obesity and type 2 diabetes is well chronicled, the amount of people with prediabetes is a growing and often underreported issue that can be prevented with changes in eating and physical activity habits. People with prediabetes are at risk for not only developing type 2 diabetes, but cardiovascular diseases, stroke and other conditions.
“Prediabetes is a serious condition, but a benefit of a prediabetes diagnosis is that there is still time to make changes to eating and physical activity habits to prevent or delay the development of type 2 diabetes,” said Melanie Chapman, Wellness Director of The Family YMCA. “You don’t have to make the changes alone – we can help.”
As one of the nation’s leading nonprofits dedicated to strengthening community through healthy living, The Family YMCA is urging residents of our community to assess their risk for prediabetes and type 2 diabetes by visiting YMCA.net/diabetes-prevention. Individuals can learn how background and lifestyle choices help determine the ultimate risk for prediabetes and type 2 diabetes. Several factors that could put a person at risk for type 2 diabetes include family history, age, weight and activity level, among others.
Some basic lifestyle changes that contribute to weight loss and healthy living can decrease the risk for type 2 diabetes. Among these are:
- eat fruits and vegetables every day;
- choose fish, lean meats, and poultry without skin;
- aim for whole grains with every meal;
- be moderately active at least 30 minutes per day five days a week;
- choose water to drink instead of beverages with added sugar; and
- speak to your doctor about your diabetes risk factors, especially if you have a family history of the disease or are overweight.
The Family YMCA will be holding FREE Diabetes Education and Prevention classes on Tuesdays from 11-11:45am beginning March 27th and running through May 1st. This class, made possible by Lou Santoro State Farm Insurance Agency, is FREE to the public. Please pre-register at the Y by March 23rd. Class size is limited.
To learn more about The Family YMCA Diabetes Program, please contact Melanie Chapman at 662-3100 or mchapman@laymca.org.
