Focus on your health this holiday season: Reverse prediabetes

The holiday season has arrived, and for many people this time of year is filled with gatherings, celebrations, sweet treats and savory dishes. However, it may also be a good time to make healthy habits a priority.

But why? Because 96 million American adults are living with prediabetes — that’s more than one in three U.S. adults — and more than 80 percent of people don’t know they have it, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

“Prediabetes is a condition where your blood sugar is elevated, but not quite high enough to be diagnosed as Type 2 diabetes,” says Julianne Ramirez-Nadjm, PharmD, a clinical pharmacist who specializes in diabetes services at MultiCare Health System. “The concern is that without intervention, prediabetes can progress to Type 2 diabetes and increase your risk of heart disease, stroke, kidney disease and other serious health problems.”

The good news is there are actions you can take to stop prediabetes in its tracks, and
you don’t have to go it alone. The YMCA’s Diabetes Prevention Program may be just what you need to take control of your health this holiday season.

Glucose: Friend and foe

Reversing prediabetes starts with understanding how sugar affects our bodies. When we eat food of any kind, it’s broken down into a form of sugar called glucose that enters our bloodstream.

Increased levels of glucose in the blood tells our pancreas to produce a hormone called insulin, which allows the glucose to get inside our cells where it can be stored as energy until we need it. When someone has prediabetes — elevated blood sugar levels — it can lead to a cascade of health problems.

The good news is there are actions you can take to stop prediabetes in its tracks, and you don’t have to go it alone.

“Think about an air conditioning unit in the middle of a heat wave. If you keep the unit constantly running full blast 24/7, eventually it’s going to break down,” Ramirez-Nadjm says. “The pancreas isn’t that much different. In this case, the heat wave is the excess sugar, which is stored as body fat, leading to weight gain. This causes the pancreas to work harder.

“If blood sugar remains high over a long period of time, then at some point the pancreas may not be able to produce enough insulin to keep up with demand. When this happens, cells can’t get the energy they need, and prediabetes becomes Type 2 diabetes.”

According to the CDC, risk factors for prediabetes include:

• Being overweight
• Being 45 and older
• Having a family history of Type 2 diabetes
• Being physically active less than three times a week
• Experiencing gestational diabetes during pregnancy
• Having polycystic ovary syndrome

Most people with prediabetes don’t experience symptoms; it’s only typically caught through routine health screenings, which is part of the reason it’s important to get annual checkups.

If you have prediabetes, what you can do about it?

“Reversing prediabetes is all about making lifestyle changes — getting at least 30 minutes of activity most days of the week, focusing on eating a nutritious diet and developing healthy strategies for coping with stress,” Ramirez-Nadjm says.

Small changes equal a big impact

While you may know what it takes to stop prediabetes, implementing these kinds of lifestyle changes as an individual can feel daunting. That’s why MultiCare refers eligible patients to the YMCA’s Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP).  

This program is based on the results of a nationally funded CDC study. The study showed that the program, in which participants lost 5 to 7 percent of their body weight, reduced the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes by 58 percent in adults at high risk for the disease and 71 percent for those 60 and older. (For reference, 5 to 7 percent body weight is about 10 to 14 pounds for a person weighing 200 pounds.)

“The goal of the program is to help people identify what habits in their daily lives are supportive of a healthy lifestyle and what habits may not be,” says Susan Buell, association director of health initiatives at the YMCA of Pierce and Kitsap Counties. “Then together we work through how to make incremental, sustainable lifestyle changes, celebrating each achievement along the way.”

The YMCA’s DPP is integrated within MultiCare’s electronic medical record system, so referring providers can track patients’ progress over time. People can also self-refer to the program if they meet certain criteria related to body mass index (BMI) and other diabetes-related risk factors.

Those who enroll in the year-long program meet weekly, either virtually or in person, with a coach and a small group of fellow participants for an hour for the first 16 weeks. The group then meets every other week for two months and monthly for the remainder of the year. Participants learn how different foods and behaviors affect their health, explore their habits around eating and physical activity, set and track goals, and discuss challenges and successes.

“At first, many people think a year seems like too long of a commitment, but as they get more deeply engaged in the program, they tell us how they don’t want it to end,” Buell says. “One of the great things about the program is that we get to examine how each season affects our habits — for example, how holiday events or summer vacations influence our decision-making. Having the ability to travel the full calendar year together helps people identify pitfalls and anchor new habits in real time.”

Of all the benefits of the program, Buell says what many participants seem to value the most is the sense of empowerment they feel.

“People realize that they don’t need fancy equipment or a particular book or anything outside themselves to make effective lifestyle changes,” she says. “With a little support, they chart their own success and see how small changes over time can have a big, sustainable impact on their lives.”

Offered in English and Spanish, the YMCA’s DPP is available to qualified participants across the state of Washington. Membership at the YMCA is not required, and financial assistance is available for those who need help covering the cost of the program.

To learn more about the YMCA’s DPP, visit the YMCA website or talk to your MultiCare primary care provider.