This week, Bobbi Conner talks with Dr. Sarah Hales about lifestyle strategies to prevent type 2 diabetes. Dr. Hales is an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and Director of the MUSC Diabetes Prevention Program.
TRANSCRIPT:
Conner: I'm Bobbi Conner for South Carolina Public Radio with Health Focus here at the radio studio for the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston. It's estimated that one in every three adults in the US has prediabetes. Doctor Sarah Hales is here to talk about this condition and also strategies to help prevent diabetes. Doctor Hales is an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, and she's Director of the MUSC Diabetes Prevention Program. Doctor Hales, tell us about prediabetes.
Dr. Hales: Prediabetes is when your blood sugar is high, but not yet high enough to be considered type two diabetes. The best way to know if you have prediabetes is to get a blood test. And talking with your primary care provider is a great way to find out if you may be at risk of having prediabetes.
Conner: Tell us about the National Diabetes Prevention Program.
Dr. Hales: The National Diabetes Prevention Program is an evidence-based lifestyle change program. The program includes a year's worth of sessions in small groups. The program can be delivered in person, online or through apps. During the course of the program, we learn about how to eat well to prevent type two diabetes, how to lose a little bit of weight, get physically active, and also how to keep the weight off that we've lost and keep our lifestyle changes going so that we continue to prevent or delay the onset of type two diabetes.
Conner: I understand that you lead some of the diabetes prevention programs at MUSC. What are some of the strategies for preventing diabetes that you incorporate into those sessions?
Dr. Hales: I do lead some of our diabetes prevention programs, and first and foremost, our focus is on diet. So, eating a lower-calorie but still balanced diet. An example is following the diabetes plate for eating. So, filling half of your plate with non-starchy vegetables, a fourth of your plate with lean proteins, and the other fourth with whole grains. Also having water to drink as your beverage of choice, and then some fruit and dairy on the side as well. Another really important thing is to get exercise. So, working up to and maintaining an average of 150 minutes of moderate exercise each week, and then also losing a little bit of weight is also very helpful in preventing or delaying type two diabetes. And, it doesn't have to be a lot of weight, even losing 5% of your starting weight is fantastic.
Conner: And Doctor Hales, how effective are these lifestyle strategies in reducing someone's chance of developing diabetes?
Dr. Hales: They are very effective. So, the lifestyle change program has been studied for decades and decades, and research has shown that folks that complete the year long lifestyle change program and lose a little bit of weight and exercise consistently reduce their chances of type two diabetes by 58%.
Conner: How can someone find a diabetes prevention program in their area?
Dr. Hales: People can find a diabetes prevention program by going to the CDC's website, or googling the National Diabetes Prevention Program. That can help you find national diabetes prevention programs in your location nationwide, and, of course, in South Carolina as well.
Conner: Doctor Hales, thanks for this information about prediabetes.
Dr. Hales: You're welcome.
Conner: From the radio studio for the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, I'm Bobbi Conner for South Carolina Public Radio.
Health Focus transcripts are intended to accurately represent the original audio version of the program; however, some discrepancies or inaccuracies may exist. The audio format serves as the official record of Health Focus programming.
