Gritman helps retired Moscow teacher overcome pre-diabetes
Retired Moscow High School teacher Diane Potter never gave much thought to her diet or weight. She, after all, had maintained a consistent weight for years – “I wasn’t gaining, I wasn’t losing. It didn’t seem to hamper my daily life, so it wasn’t something I had thought about really,” she says.
But in 2018 her physician told her she was pre-diabetic — and it was suddenly very much on her mind. She had witnessed her grandmother struggle with diabetes, and she had a cousin whose life was cut short by the disease.
In the U.S., 88 million adults, or more than 1 in 3, have prediabetes – when blood sugar levels are higher than normal, but not high enough yet to be diagnosed as type 2 diabetes. Prediabetes raises the risk for type 2 diabetes, heart disease and stroke – but the condition can be reversed.
“I just said I am not going there. If you are pre-diabetic you can stop it, but once you are diabetic it doesn’t ever go away,” Diane said. “It was not an option.”
Diane’s physician recommended Gritman Medical Center’s Weight Management and Diabetes Prevention Program, a lifestyle change program that offers education on physical activity, nutrition, stress management and general health. The program is fully recognized by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and led by Director of Nutrition Services Nancy Kure, RDN, LD, CDE, and Dorothy Plaza, RN and diabetes educator. (Learn more about the program requirements and insurance coverage at gritman.org/diabetes.)
Diane joined in September of 2018, and by May of 2019 had dropped 30 pounds and was no longer pre-diabetic.
“I couldn’t have done it on my own,” Diane said. “Within three months, my blood sugar had gone down to where I was no longer pre-diabetic.”
Diane left the class with valuable skills to help her lead a healthier life, and she was confident she could trust the information she received from the instructors
“You knew what they were saying was factual. It wasn’t just some TV person talking,” Diane said. “This is not a diet, it’s healthy choices, and they are life-long choices. It is a complete lifestyle change, a life-long change, and it is something you can do.”
Weight Management and Diabetes Prevention Program
Our team is dedicated to working with you to prevent type 2 diabetes through our Weight Management and Diabetes Prevention Program, a year-long, lifestyle-change program.
- Fully recognized by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- Proven program shown to prevent or delay type 2 diabetes in high-risk patients
- Includes education on physical activity, nutrition, stress management and other important areas of your health
- At Gritman, 86 people have completed the program since 2015 and lost a group total of 1,213 pounds
- About 4 out of 5 people who start go on to successfully complete the program
Who would benefit from this program? Individuals who:
- Are overweight
- Diagnosed with prediabetes or diabetes
- At risk for diabetes
To register for this program, contact Gritman Clinical Nutrition at 208-883-6341 or dpp@gritman.org. Learn more at gritman.org/diabetes.
