A newsletter from The Miriam Hospital Weight Management Program Strategy, Support, Success, Weight Loss
Our Mission: To teach patients the skills necessary to make lifestyle changes and to empower patients to implement these changes in their everyday lives. Each patient’s program is personalized based on his/ her current weight, medical conditions, lifestyle factors, and personal goals.
The Miriam Hospital Weight Management Program provides comprehensive treatment programs designed specifically to treat various levels of overweight and obesity. Treatment staff include physicians, psychologists, social workers, physician assistants, nurses, nutritionists, and exercise physiologists. Patients can enroll in a free orientation session by calling 401-444-4800. The Miriam Hospital Weight Management Program 146 West River Street Suite 11A, First Floor Providence, RI 02904 www.miriamhospital.org/ weight-management
Editors: Vincent Pera, MD Lucy Rathier, PhD Suzanne Moriarty, MSW
Volume 2, Issue 1: Fall 2015
A Few Key Changes can Help Prevent or Manage Type 2 Diabetes! According to the Centers for Disease Control, 1 out 11 people in the U.S. has type 2 diabetes. That is 29 million people. 86 million people have prediabetes in this country and are at risk for developing type 2 diabetes. While there is no cure for diabetes, lifestyle changes can prevent the onset of diabetes in individuals that are pre-diabetic and greatly reduce the risk for complications in individuals diagnosed with diabetes. Eating a healthy diet, exercising, maintaining a healthy weight, and taking medication as prescribed can have a tremendous impact.
After just 16 – 20 weeks of treatment in the Weight Management Program:
What is type 2 diabetes? Most of the food we • 59% of all diabetes medication eat is turned into sugar (glucose) to be used by is discontinued or reduced. the body for energy. The pancreas is the organ • Average weight loss in patients responsible for making insulin. Insulin helps the with diabetes is 37 pounds. glucose or sugar in your blood enter our cells to • Average reduction in HbA1C is be used for energy. When a person has diabetes, 1.0%, from 7.6% (pretreatment the body either does not make enough insulin or on diabetes medications) to cannot use the insulin well. Therefore the sugar 6.6% (while reducing diabetes or glucose stays in the blood stream. It cannot medications). be used by the cells for energy. The buildup of sugar in the blood stream over time can lead to serious health complications. Type 2 diabetes can occur at any age. It puts people at an increased risk for heart disease, stroke, kidney failure, blindness, and limb amputations. Studies have found that a 5-10% weight loss can delay or prevent the onset of type 2 diabetes. For type 2 diabetics, losing just a few pounds through exercise and eating well can help with blood sugar control, potentially reduce your need for medication, and reduce your risk for other health problems. Healthy eating for both successful weight loss and long term management of type 2 diabetes includes the following: • M eal planning - including a consistent meal schedule with carbohydrates divided evenly between 3 meals. • Using tools for portion control both at home and when dining out. • Making healthy food choices from each food group. The Miriam Hospital Weight Management Program has a specialized weight management program for individuals with diabetes. Within this program, registered dietitians teach how to make healthy food choices and plan meals in a concrete, visual, and practical way. Our dietitians and nurse are Diabetes Outpatient Educators certified by the RI Department of Health to teach all aspects of diabetes management. Please call 401-444-7800 to sign up for our free orientation or to learn more.