Essentia Health-Moose Lake Offering Diabetes Prevention Program

November is American Diabetes Month and Essentia Health-Moose Lake is offering a program which will assist those with prediabetes or risk factors for developing diabetes.

According to Essentia Health, those with risk factors include people who are overweight; age 45 or older; have a family history of Type 2 diabetes; aren’t physically active (fewer than three times per week); were diagnosed with gestational diabetes during pregnancy; or gave birth to a baby weighing more than nine pounds.

Ahead of the yearlong class there will be two 40-minute informational sessions, both of which will be held virtually via Zoom:

• 7:00 p.m. Tuesday, October 27
• 10:00 a.m. Wednesday, November 4

The Zoom meeting ID for both is 863 4691 4077, or you can call in to (312) 626-6799.

The yearlong class will begin at 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday, November 18. For the first six months, meetings will occur 2-4 times per month, then 1-2 times per month for the duration. Each of these sessions will be held virtually until it’s safe to hold the meetings in person.

The diabetes prevention program will help you manage your diabetes by helping you care for yourself in the following ways: eating healthy; being active; checking your blood sugar; taking medicines; solving problems; coping in a healthy way; and reducing risks.

Essentia Health says the program has proven to help people lower their blood sugar, blood pressure and cholesterol.  With the pandemic continuing to spread across the Northland, this is especially important as diabetes is listed as one of the underlying conditions that can make people suffer the worst effects of COVID-19.

Those who cannot attend one or both of the informational sessions can also register for this program by e-mailing Amanda Paull at Amanda.Paull@EssentiaHealth.org or by calling (218) 485-5521.