Why Offer a Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP) Lifestyle Change Program
About 1 out of 3 American adults has prediabetes—that’s 88 million
people. People with prediabetes are at higher risk of heart attack,
stroke, and type 2 diabetes. Type 2 diabetes puts people at risk for
many serious health problems, including:
- Heart attack
- Stroke
- Blindness
- Kidney failure
- Loss of
toes, feet, or legs
Fortunately, having prediabetes doesn’t guarantee a person will
develop type 2 diabetes. Type 2 diabetes can be prevented.
CDC-recognized diabetes prevention lifestyle change programs can help
people prevent or delay type 2 diabetes and improve their overall health.
In addition to the obvious health benefits, here are some additional
reasons to consider offering a DPP lifestyle change program from the CDC:
-
It's a proven, science-based program: Studies have shown that
people with prediabetes who take part in a structured lifestyle
change program and lose 5% to 7% of their body weight through
healthier eating and 150 minutes of physical activity per week can
cut their risk of developing type 2 diabetes by 58% (71% for people
over 60 years old). Lifestyle change programs can reduce the risk of
heart attack and stroke associated with prediabetes and improve
participants’ overall health.
-
Increased visibility and credibility to your organization on
the CDC website (upon program recognition from the CDC).
-
If you're an employer: You can help employees prevent or
delay type 2 diabetes along with the associated conditions that can
directly impact your business's bottom line.
-
If you're a healthcare professional: You'll increase
access to evidence-based, CDC-led chronic disease prevention efforts
and help patients improve their health through food and
exercise-related behavioral changes.
How to Start a DPP Lifestyle Change Program
Six steps to starting your own Diabetes
Prevention Program (DPP) lifestyle change program:
-
Find room in your budget to make sure the program is adequately
resourced. Although Medicare covers CDC-recognized DPPs, many of
the nation’s 84 million people are not covered by Medicare.
-
Identify key staff members to administer and run the program.
Pick staff members who are good with people and comfortable speaking
in front of a group. Additionally, it is important to pick staff who
will learn the CDC’s training materials thoroughly.
-
Get trained to be a
lifestyle coach.
Sign up with a
CDC-approved training program.
- Training for your Lifestyle Coaches (cdc.gov)
- Curricula and Handouts | NDPP | Diabetes | CDC
-
Download and organize the materials
. The up-to-date
CDC-approved program materials are titled Prevent T2 and are
available online. Given the high volume of information, it is best
to organize the materials so that it is easy to reference for
staff and participants.
-
Locate a meeting space. Identify a location that works best
for your staff and potential participants. Consider proximity to
public transportation, such as bus stops or trolley stations, and
other barriers to access that may affect a person’s likelihood to
participate.
-
Recruit patients. Find resources from the CDC on recruiting and
retaining participants. For healthcare providers, consider pulling a
list of patients with prediabetes from the practice’s electronic
health records system.
For more information on the National Diabetes Prevention Program,
please visit the CDC's website at: cdc.gov/diabetes/prevention.
