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Are you overweight, diagnosed with pre-diabetes or a high risk of developing diabetes?  Come to an hour-long information session which will be held  Wednesday, February 25 at 5:30 p.m. in the Village Room, 912 City Road to learn about “My Choice. . . My Health”, a 16-week course which helps those at high risk for developing type 2 diabetes to adopt and maintain a healthy lifestyle. “My Choice. . . My Health” sessions will begin Wednesday, March 4 at 5:30 p.m. also in the Village Room. In order to meet minimum class size requirements, class start dates may need to be rescheduled.

My Health is fully funded by the Chelsea-Area Wellness Foundation and is free of cost for qualified participants. To qualify, participants must be overweight and at a high risk for developing diabetes, or overweight and diagnosed with prediabetes. For those interested in participating, a doctor can tell if you’re at risk for diabetes. You can also find out if you’re at risk with a free blood glucose screening provided by the Manchester Lions Club and District 11-B1 from 5-5:30 p.m. prior to the information session on February 25. No fasting is required for this screening.

Participants are encouraged to register by contacting the NKFM at 800-482-1455 or by emailing preventdiabetes@nkfm.org. For more information, visit www.nkfm.org/dpp.

Diabetes is the leading cause of kidney failure, causing more than 40 percent of all kidney failure cases. However, type 2 diabetes can be prevented or delayed. Research shows that losing a moderate amount of weight and being physically active can help delay type 2 diabetes among those who are at risk.

My Choice. . . My Health results show that by modifying diet and exercise, participants can lose a small amount of weight—5-7 percent of starting body weight—and reduce their risk of developing type 2 diabetes by up to 58 percent. Weekly meetings are one hour long and take place in a group setting where a trained lifestyle coach helps participants learn about behavior changes, including eating properly, and increasing physical activity. After the 16 weekly sessions, participants will meet for 6 more monthly meetings for additional support.

“The NKFM pre-diabetes class requires a time commitment that is repaid many times over by delaying or preventing the life-altering challenges of diabetes,” says Amy Heydlauff, CEO at the Chelsea-Area Wellness Foundation.

For more information read our previous article on this topic.

My Choice . . . My Health Diabetes Prevention Program in Manchester is a collaboration between the National Kidney Foundation of Michigan (NKFM) and the Chelsea- Area Wellness Foundation.