An at-home lifestyle change program from the CDC helps L.A.-area residents with prediabetes reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes by more than half.
People feel overwhelmed when diagnosed with prediabetes, but developing type 2 diabetes is preventable. CYL2 provides a support system and tools to help people lose weight and improve their health.”
— Charity White, program manager, BWW
LOS ANGELES, CA, UNITED STATES — November is National Diabetes Month, a chance to raise awareness about prediabetes and preventing type 2 diabetes, a major public health concern. Prediabetes is when your blood sugar level is high but not high enough to be diagnosed as type 2 diabetes. Black Women for Wellness (BWW) is helping people with prediabetes in Los Angeles prevent type 2 diabetes by offering at-home lifestyle change classes. The program, Change Your Lifestyle. Change Your Life. (CYL2) is part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) National Diabetes Prevention Program and it teaches people how to incorporate healthy habits into daily life, cutting their risk for type 2 diabetes by more than half. The program also helps to reduce high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and other chronic conditions.
“People can feel overwhelmed when they are diagnosed with prediabetes, but developing type 2 diabetes is preventable,” said Charity White, program manager at Black Women for Wellness. “CYL2 provides participants with a support system, tools, and knowledge so they can feel empowered to make lifestyle changes that will help them lose weight and improve their overall health.”
Empowering Black Women
Although diabetes affects people of all ethnicities and races, non-Hispanic African Americans are 60 percent more likely to be diagnosed with diabetes than non-Hispanic white Americans. The higher rate of diabetes among Black Americans is impacted by socioeconomic factors such as increased stress, limited access to nutritious foods, and health factors like obesity and low physical activity. By sticking with the lifestyle changes CYL2 instills, participants can reduce their risk of developing type 2 diabetes by 58 percent.
CYL2 classes are held throughout the year. People interested in participating in the classes must call 323-332-9193 or visit bwwla.org/change-your-lifestyle-change-your-life to determine eligibility and to register. The classes will meet online for one year. In the first four months of the program, classes will meet 16 times. In the final eight months of the program, classes will meet 12 more times to help participants maintain healthy lifestyle changes. CYL2 is covered by many insurance companies, including Medicare for those 65 and older. A limited number of scholarships are available for those without insurance coverage for the program.
CYL2 provides participants in the program with a trained lifestyle coach who teaches them how to make positive daily changes they can stick with. You will also have the support of others making positive lifestyle changes as well. The classes cover:
• Shopping and cooking for health
• Managing chronic stress
• Understanding how emotions can trigger eating
• Practicing self-care
• Achieving weight goals during midlife
• Staying motivated
• Making good food choices away from home
• Knowing what to do when weight loss stalls
About Prediabetes
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1 in 3 US adults have prediabetes – and most of those with prediabetes don’t know they have it. People at risk of prediabetes or type 2 diabetes:
• Are overweight
• Are 45 years of age or older
• Have a parent or sibling that has type 2 diabetes
• Are physically active fewer than 3 times per week
• Gave birth to a baby that weighed more than 9 pounds
• Had diabetes while pregnant (gestational diabetes)
Having prediabetes increases your risk for severe health conditions like:
• Heart attack
• Stroke
• Blindness
• Kidney failure
• Loss of toes, feet, or legs
With such serious consequences, preventing type 2 diabetes is a major public health concern. The good news is that prediabetes can be reversed by making healthier lifestyle decisions.
About CYL2
CYL2 is conducted in partnership with the Black Women’s Health Imperative (BWHI) through a cooperative agreement with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Since its inception in 2012, BWHI has expanded CYL2 to several cities throughout the United States. The goal of CYL2 is to inspire participants to sustain healthy lifestyle changes.
ABOUT BLACK WOMEN FOR WELLNESS
Black Women for Wellness is committed to the health and well-being of Black women and girls through health education, empowerment, and advocacy. Black Women for Wellness aims to expand healthcare access, reduce toxic hair care chemicals that are prevalent in their community and build political advocacy in California and beyond. To learn more, visit bwwla.org or call 323-290-5955.
ABOUT THE BLACK WOMEN’S HEALTH IMPERATIVE
The Black Women’s Health Imperative is the only national organization dedicated to improving the health and wellness of the nation’s 21 million Black women and girls — physically, emotionally, and financially. It identifies the most pressing health issues and invests in the best of the best strategies, partners, and organizations that share their goal: ensuring Black women live longer, healthier, more prosperous lives.
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