I am proud to announce that in collaboration with Novant Health, the J.F. Hurley Family YMCA is successfully finishing its first year of an insurance-paid diabetes prevention program.

The program is a yearlong community-based program that helps adults reduce their risk for developing Type 2 diabetes. The program is designed to enable participants to adapt and maintain positive behavior changes, including more healthful eating, increasing physical activity and losing a modest amount of weight that will improve overall health and reduce the risk for Type 2 diabetes.

So what is Type 2 diabetes?

It typically starts with insulin resistance, where the muscles, liver and fat cells do not use insulin well. As a result, the pancreas is trying to make more insulin to fight blood sugars. Over time, it can’t make enough insulin and blood sugar levels rise.

So how do you know if you have pre-diabetes ?

Your doctor can order a fasting blood-sugar test. A normal reading is 100 mg/dl; 100-125 is pre-diabetes; over 126 is diabetes. The American Diabetes Association recommends visiting your doctor for a test if you have one or more of the following conditions:

• Overweight

• Over 45 years old

• Family history of diabetes

• African-American, Alaska Native, Hispanic Latino or Pacific Islander American

•Have hypertension (high blood pressure) or high cholesterol

• Participate in physical activity less than three times a week

• Had gestational diabetes (in pregnancy) or given birth to a baby 9 pounds or more.

If you have pre-diabetes, our YMCA diabetes prevention program might be for you. Most insurance companies will pay for this program, but if your insurance does not, there is up to 100 percent financial support available.

So if you join this program, you will receive support and encouragement from both a trained lifestyle coach and fellow participants as they develop a plan for achieving the program goals. The program’s goals include 7 percent of the body’s weight loss and increasing physical activity to 150 minutes a week (30 minutes a day for five days a week).

This first year is coming to an end and our first group has been very successful. It’s completely private unless you want to share your success.

For more information or to see if you qualify, contact YDPP program coordinator Laurie Ward at lward@rowanymca.org

Why wait until you have Type 2 diabetes? Act now.

Ester H. Marsh is health and fitness director of J.F. Hurley family YMCA.