Prevent Type 2 Diabetes: Talking to Your Patients About Lifestyle Change

What to know

The lifestyle change program that is part of the CDC-led National Diabetes Prevention Program is proven to help prevent or delay type 2 diabetes.

Infographic with facts about preventing type 2 diabetes and talking to your patients about lifestyle change programs.

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Prevent Type 2 Diabetes

Talking to your patients about lifestyle change.

Threat of Prediabetes

About 98 million American adults—more than 1 in 3—have prediabetes.

More than 8 in 10 adults with prediabetes don't know they have it.

Prediabetes increases the risk of:

  • Type 2 Diabetes
  • Heart Disease
  • Stroke

If your patients have prediabetes, losing weight by eating healthy and being more active can cut their risk of getting type 2 diabetes in half.

Lifestyle Change Program

The lifestyle change program that is part of the CDC-led National Diabetes Prevention Program is proven to help prevent or delay type 2 diabetes. It is based on research that showed:

  • 58% lower incidence of type 2 diabetes after weight loss of 5 to 7% of body weight achieved by reducing calories and increasing physical activity to at least 150 minutes per week.
  • 71% reduced incidence of type 2 diabetes for people 60 and older.
  • 27% lower incidence of type 2 diabetes in lifestyle change program participants after 15 years.

The lifestyle change program provides:

  • A trained lifestyle coach
  • CDC-approved curriculum
  • Group support over the course of a year
  • A full year of in-person or online meetings

Your patients will learn to make achievable and realistic life changes

  • Eat healthy
  • Manage stress
  • Incorporate physical activity into their daily routine
  • Solve problems that get in the way of healthy changes

Patient Eligibility

  • 18 years or older, and
  • Overweight, and
  • Diagnosed with prediabetes or previously diagnosed with gestational diabetes

How you can help your patients

  • Test your at-risk patients for prediabetes.
  • Refer your patients with prediabetes to a CDC-approved lifestyle change program.

Learn more from CDC and find an approved lifestyle change program at: www.cdc.gov/diabetes-prevention