Beat Diabetes
What is type 2 diabetes and why is it so dangerous?
- Type 2 diabetes usually starts with insulin resistance, when sugar in our blood, in the form of glucose, can’t enter our cells as it normally does to make energy.
- Since more glucose enters the bloodstream as we eat and drink, but less enters our cells, it builds up in the blood.
- Over time, high levels of blood glucose cause damage in our bodies, leading to serious health problems.
What is prediabetes?
Prediabetes is a serious health condition where blood sugar (glucose) is higher than normal, but not high enough to be called type 2 diabetes.
Prediabetes puts us at higher risk of getting type 2 diabetes, heart disease and stroke.
Who is at risk for prediabetes?
One or more of the following puts us at higher risk for prediabetes:
- Being overweight
- Being 45 years old or older
- Having a family history of type 2 diabetes
- Being physically active less than three times per week
- Having a baby that weighed more than nine pounds
- Having gestational diabetes during a pregnancy
Take the Prediabetes Risk Test and, if it shows that you’re at high risk of having prediabetes, talk it over with your doctor.
Can prediabetes be reversed?
Yes! A lifestyle change program, like the Beat Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP), can help us build new, healthy habits to reverse prediabetes and lower the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
- In a DPP , we will learn to:
- Eat healthy without giving up our favorite foods
- Add physical activity to our lives, even when we’re short on time
- Manage stress
- Discover solutions to situations that can slow progress—like how to choose healthy food when eating out
- Stay motivated and get back on track if we stray from our plan—because everyone slips now and then.
- Each session is led by a trained, lifestyle coach who encourages, coaches, and motivates us to make long-lasting, lifestyle changes.
- Sessions can be in-person, online, or a combination of in-person and online.
- Most importantly, DPP will provide the support we need from people with similar goals and challenges.
Who can join a Beat Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP)?
Adults 18 years or older with a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 25 or more (23 or more if Asian or part-Asian) must:
- Score 5 or higher on the Prediabetes Risk Test
OR - Have a result in the orange prediabetes range from at least 1 of the 3 tests
OR - Have had gestational diabetes during a pregnancy
People who have been told that they have/had type 1 or type 2 diabetes and people who are pregnant at the time of enrollment may not join a DPP.
Read Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) here.
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References
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. What is Diabetes? Updated September 5, 2023. Accessed February 21, 2024. (Diabetes Basics | Diabetes | CDC)
- Hawaiʻi State Department of Health, Hawaiʻi Health Data Warehouse. Leading Causes of Death: State of Hawaiʻi, 2018-2022. December 1, 2023. Accessed March 15, 2024. (LCD-State-Report-2020_2022.pdf (hhdw.org))
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. National Diabetes Statistics Report: Estimates of Diabetes and Its Burden in the United States. Updated November 29,2023. Accessed March 22, 2024. (National Diabetes Statistics Report | Diabetes | CDC)