Rye Y Expands Diabetes Prevention Program in Port Chester, Larchmont and Mamaroneck

Seeking to help people who are at higher risk for developing diabetes, officials with the Rye YMCA have trained a new set of “lifestyle coaches,” including Spanish-speaking trainers, to bring healthy diet and exercise habits to the Long Island Sound shoreline.

According to officials at the Rye YMCA, the facilities Diabetes Prevention Program or “DPP” trained six new coaches, five of whom will expand the program through work at Open Door Family Medical Center in Port Chester, and the sixth through the Hispanic Resource Center of Larchmont and Mamaroneck.

According to Tanya Stack, coordinator of the program at the Rye Y, DPP has helped “dozens of people adopt healthier lifestyles and reduce their risk of developing not only diabetes, but also other chronic diseases.”

“We’re excited about bringing this program outside the walls of the Y and into the communities we serve,” Stack said in a press release. “Our goal is to offer the YMCA’s DPP at faith-based organizations, senior centers, social service agencies, schools or anywhere people gather.”

The program coincides with National Diabetes Awareness Month.

According to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 10.2 percent of all non-Hispanic whites aged 20 and older, have diabetes—compared to 18.7 percent of all non-Hispanic blacks in the same age group. The CDC says sufficient data are not available to estimate the total prevalence of diabetes (diagnosed and undiagnosed) for other minority populations. More information about the disease can be found on the attached PDF file from the CDC.

Another piece of the Rye Y’s program includes a free lecture by Erica Christ, a registered dietician and Certified Diabetes Educator from Greenwich Hospital. “Christ will discuss the risks of diabetes, how to prevent the disease and healthy recipes for the upcoming holiday season,” Rye Y officials say.  The lecture, which is open to the public, will be held on Thursday, Nov. 21 at 12:30 p.m. at the Rye YMCA. For additional information about the YMCA’s Diabetes Prevention Program or the free lecture, contact Tanya Stack at 914-967-6363, ext. 206 or tanya@ryeymca.org.