SCOTTSBLUFF, Neb., - If you’re pre-diabetic, you don’t have to develop type 2 diabetes. Educate yourself on how you can remove your risk of developing type 2 diabetes by signing up for Regional West Diabetes Care Center’s upcoming Diabetes Prevention Program class.

The first class will take place from 5 to 6 p.m. on Nov. 2 in Medical Plaza South, room 1202.The group will meet weekly for 16 weeks and then monthly for eight months. Participants will learn ways to incorporate healthy eating and physical activity into their daily schedules. Each person taking the class will be assigned a “Lifestyle Coach” who will help them make lifestyle changes and decrease their risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

The program has two main goals for participants: lose five to seven percent of your starting body weight over the course of the year, and exercise a minimum of two and a half hours weekly. Statistics show that losing seven percent of your body weight reduces the risk of developing type 2 diabetes by 58 percent. Adding exercise decreases your risk even more.

Participants must be 18 years of age or older, have a body mass index (BMI) greater or equal to24 kh/m2, are pre-diabetic, or have been clinically diagnosed with gestational diabetes mellitus during a previous pregnancy.

There is no cost to be a part of the Diabetes Prevention Program. Regional West Physicians Clinic-Diabetes Care Center has received a grant which will cover all the materials for the class. Class size is limited to 20 participants, so call soon to reserve your spot.

For more information or to reserve your spot, contact Mary Skiles, Certified Diabetic Educator, at Regional West Physicians Clinic-Diabetes Care Center, at 308-630-3725.

Regional West Health Services in Scottsbluff, Neb., is the parent company of Regional West Medical Center, a 182-bed regional referral center and one of three Level II Trauma Centers in the state. As the region’s only tertiary referral medical center, Regional West offers care that spans more than 32 medical specialties provided by over 28 physician clinics. With nearly 300 providers, and over 2,000 employees, Regional West provides comprehensive and innovative health care services for the people of western Nebraska and the neighboring states of Colorado, South Dakota, and Wyoming.