CLEVELAND — November is diabetes awareness month.

What You Need To Know

  • November is diabetes awareness month

  • About 38 million Americans have diabetes and more than 97 million U.S. adults have prediabetes

  • The YMCA offers a program to help prevent Type 2 diabetes

According to the Center for Disease Control, about 38 million Americans have diabetes and more than 97 million U.S. adults have prediabetes.

The Greater Cleveland YMCA is working to avoid adding more people to those statistics through their Diabetes Prevention Program.

Elicia Polacek, a lifestyle coach with Greater Cleveland YMCA, explained that the year long program aims to teach individuals with prediabetes how to reduce their risk of developing Type 2 diabetes.  

“We do meet in the class and and we do have two program goals, one of the program goals is to lose 7% of your body weight,” Polacek explained. “The other is to increase your physical activity to a minimum of 150 minutes a week and we do that through lifestyle changes.”

Diabetes is one of the top 10 leading causes of death in the U.S.

Erin Troy, the association wellness director with the Greater Cleveland YMCA, said that is one reason why the Diabetes Prevention Program is so important.

“The diabetes prevention program is the most evidence-based diabetes prevention programs in the world and it has remarkable success rates,” Troy explained. “58% of adults have decreased their risk of developing diabetes and if you are over the age of 60, its 71% have decreased their risk of diabetes.”

Laverne Taylor took part in this year-long program after her doctor told her she has prediabetes.

Taylor said she lost 45 pounds but gained knowledge she plans to use for the rest of her life.