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ELKINS -- An informational session was offered Friday for individuals who are interested in lowering their risk of diabetes by exercising and eating healthy.
Davis Medical Center, the Marshall University Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine, AmeriCorps Vista and the Elkins-Randolph County Public Library are partnering together to offer a free "Diabetes Prevention Program" to people in the community. Program leaders discusses the purpose and goal of the program with interested participants.
Madalyn Humphrey, the Randolph County Housing Authority Healthy Homes AmeriCorps Vista, said the year-long program is designed for people with prediabetes or for people who have a high risk of type 2 diabetes.
The program is geared toward helping participants work toward specific goals and lifestyle changes, being active for at least 150 minutes per week and losing 5-7 percent of their starting weight.
Jim Severino, director of Nutrition Services at DMC, a registered dietitian and certified diabetes educator, said this is the second year the national program has been offered locally, noting it has the potential of making a positive impact on the community.
"This is a year-long program that does take some discipline as far as making sure you attend meetings, but it does work," he said. "It's credentialed through the Center for Disease Control, or the CDC, as a prevention program.
"It is a worthwhile program that does work, and studies suggest that it does make a positive impact on the community," he continued.
Melissa Kisner, population health coach at DMC, added people who participate help to encourage one another.
"I think one of the reasons why this works is because you're being held accountable when you come in and you have other people who are in the program with you that are working toward the same goals as you and that helps to keep you motivated and focused to know you're not the only one going through these things," she said.
Working as part of the support group gives people the chance to join together to overcome obstacles, share ideas and celebrate progress throughout the duration of the one-year lifestyle changing program.
The three lifestyle coaches discussed the structure of the program, explaining participants will keep a fitness log, have weigh-ins each meeting, and track activity and eating at home.
"We learn something new every day," Severino said. "There is a lot of information out there that is not true, so we try to clear that up as much as we can with these types of programs."
Meetings will be held weekly for the first six months of the program and then monthly for the last six months. The first class will meet at 11 a.m. March 16 at the library.
Anyone interested in more information before the March 16 meeting can visit www.cdc.gov/diabetes/prevention/index.html, www.facebook.com/dhswv or call 304-940-6776.