Enrollment is now open on a returning program for the Porcupine Health Unit that’s aimed at preventing type 2 diabetes.

“HealthStyles” will start up in September, a program that will teach participants the skills needed to make lasting changes.

Public Health Dietician Emilie Leblond says they’ll focus in on “a little bit of weight loss and increasing physical activity, with the intention of reducing the risk of developing diabetes.”

According to a PHU release, participants will learn to improve their eating habits, add physical activity to their routine, manage stress and solve problems that can get in the way of healthy changes.

She says it was done in the past, and is quite popular in the United States. Leblond adds they’ve adapted it to better suit our specific population.

“From the statistics where the program was run, participants were able to reduce their risk of developing diabetes by up to 58 per cent, which is quite substantial,” she says.

And while some may not have type 2 diabetes, that doesn’t mean you’re out of the woods yet. There is also prediabetes, which have symptoms of higher-than-normal blood glucose (sugar) levels.

They say those with prediabetes are five to 10 times more likely to develop type 2 diabetes than those with normal blood glucose levels. In a PHU release, it’s stated people with prediabetes will develop type 2 within the following three years if there’s no work put in to prevent it.

Those prevention avenues will be on full display during the 22 sessions of the program.

Leblond says those sessions will run through a full year, starting with weekly sessions for 12 weeks. That will later turn into six bi-weekly sessions, and then to once a month for the final six months.

They’ll be on Tuesday evenings. But Leblond adds if there’s enough demand, they’ll have an afternoon session available too.

“That’s kind of to build that confidence and give them the little support that they need when they’re going through some pretty significant lifestyle changes,” she said.

If you want to participate, you’ll have to go through a PHU screening to determine if you’re at risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

Some people, she says, are at a higher risk to develop prediabetes or type 2 diabetes:

  • 40 years of age or older (BUT the program is open to anyone over 18)
  • Family history of type 2 diabetes
  • Overweight – especially if you carry most of your weight around your middle section
  • Members of high-risk groups (Aboriginal, Hispanic, South Asian, Asian, or African descent)
  • Physically active fewer than three times per week
  • Diagnosed with gestational diabetes during pregnancy or gave birth to a baby weighing more than 9 pounds.

If you want more information, or want to know if you’re eligible, call Leblond at the Porcupine Health Unit at 705-267-1181 Ext. 2350. You can also email her at emilie.leblond@porcupinehu.on.ca

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