What Is the National DPP?

The National Diabetes Prevention Program—or National DPP—is a partnership of public and private organizations working to prevent or delay type 2 diabetes.

The partners work to make it easier for people with prediabetes or at risk for type 2 diabetes to participate in evidence-based, affordable, and high-quality lifestyle change programs to reduce their risk of type 2 diabetes and improve their overall health.

A Framework for Prevention

The National DPP provides a framework for diabetes prevention efforts. It brings together partners from the public and private sectors to prevent or delay type 2 diabetes in the United States. Partners include:

  • Federal agencies
  • State and local health departments
  • National and community organizations
  • Employers
  • Public and private insurers
  • Health care professionals
  • University community education programs
  • Businesses that focus on wellness

Check out the National DPP Infographic.

Read the Congressional language establishing the National DPP

Learn about the Key National DPP Milestones.

Goals of the National DPP

The National DPP works to make it easier for people with prediabetes to participate in affordable, high-quality lifestyle change programs to reduce their risk of type 2 diabetes and improve their overall health.

Through the National DPP, partner organizations:

  • Deliver CDC-recognized lifestyle change programs nationwide
  • Ensure quality and adherence to proven standards
  • Train community organizations that can run the lifestyle change program effectively
  • Increase referrals to and participation in CDC-recognized lifestyle change programs
  • Increase coverage by employers and public and private insurers

Key Component: The Lifestyle Change Program

Diabetes Prevention Recognition Program

Participating in a CDC-recognized lifestyle change program can cut your risk of type 2 diabetes in half.

A key part of the National DPP is the lifestyle change program to prevent or delay type 2 diabetes. Hundreds of lifestyle change programs nationwide teach participants to make lasting lifestyle changes, like eating healthier, adding physical activity into their daily routine, and improving coping skills.

To ensure high quality, CDC recognizes lifestyle change programs that meet certain standards and show they can achieve results. These standards include following an approved curriculum, facilitation by a trained lifestyle coach, and submitting data every 6 months to show that the program is having an impact.

Go to the Registry of All Recognized Organizations to see a full list of CDC-Recognized programs.

Research Behind the National DPP

Congress authorized the National DPP in 2010 because of previous research that demonstrated the potential of the CDC-recognized lifestyle change program to prevent or delay the onset of type 2 diabetes.

The Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP) was a major multicenter clinical research study. The intervention involved a lifestyle change program focusing on calorie reduction and increasing physical activity to at least 150 minutes per week. Results from the study showed that this structured lifestyle change program, in which participants achieved weight loss of 5 to 7 percent of their body weight (10 to 14 pounds for a person weighing 200 pounds), reduced the risk of developing type 2 diabetes by 58 percent in adults at high risk for the disease.

A 10-year follow-up study, The Diabetes Prevention Program Outcomes Study, showed that participants were still one-third less likely to develop type 2 diabetes a decade later than individuals who took a placebo. Those who did develop type 2 diabetes delayed the onset of the disease by about 4 years.

Summaries of additional research studies can be found on CDC’s National DPP Coverage Toolkit.