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Diabetes Prevention Course

The Diabetes Prevention Program at Floyd Medical Center educates people diagnosed as pre-diabetic to lessen their risk of becoming diabetics. An estimated one out of every three Americans has pre-diabetes and is in danger of serious health risks because of the chronic illness.

Left untreated, Type 2 diabetes can result in a number of complications, including blindness, limb loss, kidney failure, nerve damage, loss of sexual function and the inability to fight off infection.

Course Details

During a yearlong course that meets once a week, our Lifestyle Coaches can show you ways to:

increase your daily exercise routine
eat healthier
reduce daily stress through problem-solving and coping skills

The course is based on a program created by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that can reduce the risk of becoming a diabetic by more than 50 percent. The classes are free to those who sign up in 2018.

Who Qualifies

Individuals are eligible for this program if they have a body mass index (BMI) of 25 or more and any one of the following:

A1C measurement between 5.7 - 6.4
Fasting glucose level between 100 - 125 mg/dL
Diagnosed with prediabetes

Get Started

Those interested in taking the classes can attend any one of nine, 1-hour informational meetings from Sept. 17 through Sept. 21 at various times and locations.

Success Stories

Floyd employees who qualified were the first ones to go through the program. Those who participated for all 12 months:

lost between 5 to 7 percent of their body weight
increased their activity levels to at least two and a half hours a week
Many of them brought their fasting blood glucose levels into the normal range.

The program is so successful it received a $10,000 grant from the Georgia Department of Public Health, and Floyd is only the second hospital in the state to receive recognition from the CDC for its efforts in preventing diabetes.