Their Journey to Beat Prediabetes

Sisters Bertha Gordon and Charlotte Davis walk a mile around their neighborhood lake several times a week as part of their commitment to beat prediabetes.

Bertha Gordon and Charlotte Davis were not completely shocked when they heard the news, but facing the truth about their health was disconcerting nonetheless.

The sisters were at high risk of developing diabetes. An aunt had lost her leg from amputation brought on by uncontrolled diabetes, and an uncle passed away because of diabetic complications. At 60 years old, Mrs. Gordon and Mrs. Davis had what is called prediabetes.

One out of every three American adults has prediabetes. This means their blood-sugar levels are higher than normal and a family history of diabetes shows they are well on the path to developing diabetes themselves. In Polk County, 16% of residents (slightly more than 101,000) have diabetes.

The good news is that prediabetes can be reversed.

“You can’t reverse diabetes,” said Gwen Rogerson, MPH, BSN, RN, CDE, Lakeland Regional Health Certified Diabetes Educator. “But with some education and willpower, you most certainly can reverse a diagnosis of prediabetes.”

For Mrs. Gordon and Mrs. Davis, that meant signing up for a free, yearlong Lakeland Regional Health seminar that is part of the National Diabetes Prevention Program overseen by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Their class took place at Greater Refuge Temple in Lakeland and had a handful of attendees. 83 people have gone through the program since Lakeland Regional Health began offering it in 2013. The average weight loss for those in the program is 4.4% body weight at the end of the first six months and 4.1% body weight by the end of the 12 months.

Participants must meet certain criteria to enroll in the course. They must have had gestational diabetes, a high score on a diabetes risk test or abnormal lab work.

The program is intense and newly learned habits are intended to last a lifetime.

“We learned this was a lifestyle change, not a diet or a something you do for a few months,” said Mrs. Gordon.

The prediabetes program asks participants to record their food intake and begin moving in some way. Ms. Rogerson educates them about healthy food portions, fat grams, sugar substitutes and how to order healthy menu items at restaurants.

For Mrs. Gordon and Mrs. Davis, getting moving meant walking several times a week on Lake Bonnet, the lake they share as neighbors.

Maximum enrollment for the course is 15. The group meets 16 times the first six months, and then once a month for the remaining six months. Attending meetings provides the participants with accountability and encouragement.

“The participants become so much of a support for one another that they are hesitant about making the leap from meeting weekly to meeting monthly,” Ms. Rogerson said.

Mrs. Gordon lost 25 pounds, and Mrs. Davis lost 15 pounds in 12 months. Significant weight loss can help reverse prediabetes.

During the yearlong course, the sisters say they learned valuable lessons about controlling their meal portions and becoming avid nutrition-label readers.

“This is my way of life now,” Mrs. Gordon says.

Take the prediabetes risk assessment, put out by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, American Diabetes Association and the American Medical Association.

For information about Lakeland Regional Health’s Diabetes Prevention Program, call Gwen Rogerson, MPH, BSN, RN, CDE, at 863.284.1604.

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