SCOTTSBLUFF, Neb., – Are you concerned about your risk for type 2 diabetes? Are you ready to take steps to reduce your risk? If so, the Diabetes Care Center at Regional West Physicians Clinic is ready to help you change your life – and your diabetes risk in 2014.

The Diabetes Care Center is offering a free lifestyle change program for people at risk for developing type 2 diabetes. The year-long program, which begins in January, is part of the National Diabetes Prevention Program, sponsored by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The program helps participants learn new ways to incorporate healthy eating and physical activity into their daily lives under the guidance of a trained lifestyle coach. According to the CDC, lifestyle changes can reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes by 58 percent. The class will be led by the Regional West Physicians Clinic Diabetes Education staff.

The National Diabetes Prevention Program involves weekly meetings for 16 weeks, then monthly meetings for the remainder of the year. Participants set two primary goals: lose five to seven percent of their starting body weight over the course of the program, and do at least 150 minutes of physical activity each week.

The program teaches skills and provides tools to make a change for life. Participants learn strategies to add healthy eating and moderate physical activity into daily living, as well as techniques to handle stress and strategies to overcome barriers to a healthy lifestyle.

To qualify for this free diabetes prevention program, a person must have prediabetes, a body mass index of 24 or higher, have had diagnosed gestational diabetes with a past pregnancy, or been told by a health care provider that they are at risk for developing type 2 diabetes.

To enroll in the National Diabetes Prevention Program or to learn more about it, please call the Diabetes Care Center at Regional West Physicians Clinic 308-630-2100.

Regional West Health Services is the parent company for Regional West Medical Center and Regional West Physicians Clinic. These organizations, with over 1,800 employees, provide comprehensive and innovative health care services for the people and communities of western Nebraska and the neighboring states of Colorado, South Dakota and Wyoming. With over 110 active physicians, 95 percent of whom are board certified or board eligible, plus an additional 25 consulting specialists, the Regional West family of health care organizations offers care that spans more than 30 medical specialties.