If you have pre-diabetes, simple lifestyle changes can greatly reduce your risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Enrolling in ICAN Diabetes Prevention classes can help you meet your health goals and avoid diabetes.
Who It's For
If you are an adult with high blood sugar but have not yet developed diabetes, you can benefit from the ICAN program. It's also for women who experienced gestational diabetes during pregnancy, or those who are at risk because of their weight or family history.
Classes
The program consists of weekly one-hour class sessions over 16 weeks, led by a CDC-certified lifestyle coach. Following the 16 weeks of classes there are monthly maintenance sessions for a total program time of one year.
What You'll Learn
Classes cover physical activity, coping mechanisms, healthy eating and stress management:
- Why diabetes develops and how to stop it.
- Healthy Eating: How to make simple food swaps that help lower blood sugar.
- Getting Active: Easy ways to move more without needing a gym.
- Setting Goals and Staying Motivated: How to make healthy habits that last.
- Weight Loss and Portion Control: Small changes that lead to big results.
- Overcoming Stress and Challenges: How to stay on track when life gets busy.
- Long-Term Success: How to keep up your progress and stay healthy.
Get Started
To get yourself or someone else started with this free program, use our online form at FindHelp.org to provide us some basic information.
Look for the green Apply button on the form above.
Eligibility
You are eligible if:
- You are at least 18 years old
- and you have not been diagnosed with type 1 or type 2 diabetes
- and are overweight (your Body Mass Index (BMI) is at least 24, or 22 if your ethnicity is Asian)
- and you are at risk for type 2 diabetes:
- you have a fasting glucose level of 100–125 or an A1C test result of 5.7–6.4%
- or a history of gestational diabetes during pregnancy
- or you score 5 or higher on this pre-diabetes risk test.
For questions, or more information about this free Diabetes Prevention Program, contact the MSDH Office of Preventive Health at 601-206-1010 or write to CommunityOutreach@msdh.ms.gov.
