According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than 84 million people had prediabetes in 2015. People with diabetes are at high risk for developing type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and stroke.

In the last 20 years, the number of adults diagnosed with diabetes has more than tripled as the US population has aged and become more overweight. The YMCA’s Diabetes Prevention Program is an evidence-based program that helps overweight adults at risk for type 2 diabetes adopt and maintain healthy lifestyles by eating healthier, increasing physical activity, and losing a modest amount of weight.

This program provides a supportive environment where participants work together to achieve the following goals:

• Reduction in individual body weight by 7%
• Increase in moderate physical activity (the equivalent of brisk walking) to 150 minutes per week

The YMCA’s Diabetes Prevention Program uses a CDC-approved curriculum and is part of the CDC-led National Diabetes Prevention Program. In a classroom setting, a Y-USA trained Lifestyle Coach facilitates a small group of participants—anywhere from 8 to 15 —in working together to problem solve around barriers to healthier eating, exchanging ideas for how to incorporate more physical activity into daily routines, and developing action plans to support sustainable behavior change. Over the course of 25 sessions, the year-long program consists of 19 sessions in the first six months (16 weekly, 3 biweekly) and six monthly sessions in the second six months. Each session lasts one hour and includes a weigh in.