Sandusky County: YMCA gets grant to prevent diabetes

The YMCA of Sandusky County has received an $11,000 grant from the Centers for Disease Control and the YMCA of the USA National Resource Office.
Grant funds will enable the YMCA to launch the YUSA Diabetes Prevention Program at the local level. This program will be open to the community as a whole and is expected to debut in the fourth quarter of this year.
The Diabetes Prevention Program will focus on behavior change through evidenced-based education on healthy eating, physical activity, and weight loss. Angie Schroder, YMCA Wellness Coordinator, will lead the new program.
More details will be released closer to the program’s start date.
An estimated 96 million Americans are pre-diabetic, and an additional 29 million are living with type 2 diabetes.
Locally, 21 percent of Sandusky County residents have been diagnosed with diabetes or are pre-diabetic. While there is no cure for diabetes, the National Institute for Health reports that programs like that being launched by the YMCA of Sandusky County can reduce new cases by 58 percent among the general population and 71 percent in those over age 60.
“Multiple studies show that those who have diabetes or are pre-diabetic have a higher likelihood of also suffering from obesity, congestive heart failure, coronary heart disease, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol. Based on this correlation, if we can help change the habits of pre-diabetics, we can have a greater impact on the overall health of our community,” said BJ Duckworth, YMCA Senior Director of Operations.
“We look forward to leveraging these grant funds and community collaborations to expand our health and wellness offerings and continue living our mission of building a healthy spirit, mind, and body for all of our local Sandusky County community,” said Jeremiah Wagner, YMCA of Sandusky County CEO.
For information on the new program or other offerings, contact the YMCA of Sandusky County at 419-332-9622 or ymcafremont.org.