YMCA running diabetes prevention program

NEW YORK (WABC) -- Diabetes can be a deadly disease, but doctors can do tests to find out just who is at the most risk.

Those patients are called pre-diabetics, and there's a program designed to prevent the illness.

Pre-diabetes is a condition where someone's blood sugar is higher than normal but not in the diabetes range yet.

The YMCA's of New York have a program based on medical research to prevent progression of pre-diabetes to diabetes

At a weigh in, Shelley Archer learned that she lost three pounds, and that's good news because Shelley has pre-diabetes, higher than normal blood sugar.

She thought that the diagnosis could be a "death sentence".

"My mom was diabetic and my sister was just diagnosed as diabetic," Archer said.

But Shelley is now in the YMCA's Diabetes Prevention Program. It provides 16 hours of support groups to prevent pre-diabetes from going on to diabetes.

Each covers becoming a package label reader, portion sizes, and weighing food.

Raymond Liang joined up to lose weight.

"I actually started to walk around my neighborhood and I stopped drinking soda for a week," Liang said.

An article from Indiana University showed that this program works.

It's the basis for the YMCA's efforts.

"That's what's amazing about this program, just spreading the knowledge that you can have pre-diabetes and actually prevent it from happening," said Janet Locurto, a YMCA health coach.

It's not just sitting around and talking. This program is about starting to move too.

Weight loss is key. Nancy Reyes does it, exercising with her daughter Leila.

She did the program and lost 40 pounds and used a log to jot down what she ate.

It's all for Leila.

"Anything I can do to make my time healthy, productive, and active with my daughter is the best thing I can possibly imagine," Reyes said.

The program meets one hour a week for 16 weeks.

The cost is $40 for YMCA members and $80 for non-members.

There are 21program sites around the city.

For more information please call (212) 630-9600 or visit http://NYC.ydiabetes.com

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