Q: I was informed by my doctor that I have prediabetes. After reading one of your recent articles about how devastating diabetes can be, I am very interested in avoiding becoming diabetic. How can I find a diabetes prevention program near my home that can help and guide me in this effort?
A: There are 59 such programs in Michigan, 32 of which have achieved full recognition/certification by the CDC and 12 of which have achieved preliminary recognition/certification by the CDC. The rest are actively working on the certification process.
The easiest way to find the program nearest you is to visit the CDC’s website, dprp.cdc.gov/registry. This takes you to a page titled “Diabetes Prevention Recognition Program.” About halfway down the left half of the screen, you will see a field titled “State”; click on the down arrow in the box to its right, then scroll to and click on “Michigan.” Leave “All” selection in the “City” box immediately to the right of that box. Scroll through the list of organizations immediately below that to find the program best suited for you.
By accessing such a program and successfully making the needed lifestyle changes mentioned in my prior article — losing 7% of your current body weight and engaging in moderate activity, usually brisk walking, for 30 minutes a day, five days a week — you will cut your risk of developing full-fledged diabetes by nearly half. Another major added benefit of these changes is that you will also cut your risk of stroke and heart attack by more than half. Good luck!
Be advised that, due to limitations on communication with the public being placed on various governmental departments by the current presidential administration, there may be some delays in accessing this information.
To learn more about this and many other health topics, visit the American Academy of Family Physicians’ website, familydoctor. org, where you can search for your topic of interest.
Thanks to Terri R. for suggesting this topic. If you have any particular topic you would like to hear more about, please message me at paulmdake@gmail.com.
Dr. Paul Dake, a Newberry native, is a retired family physician. He lives in Pinconning, Michigan.
