Muscogee Creek Nation and Okfuskee County Health Department to offer Diabetes Prevention Program

The Muscogee Creek Nation Diabetes Program and the Okfuskee County Health Department announce the launch of the Diabetes Prevention Program, a local health improvement partnership aimed at reversing rising obesity rates and preventing diabetes in adults. The program is open to adults 18 and older with certain risk factors for diabetes and obesity.

This free lifestyle change program is a yearlong program for adults at risk for diabetes. It provides the education and support that adults need to live their best and healthiest life. The goal is to reduce or delay the risk of developing Type II diabetes in participants.

Sessions start out weekly for the first four months, mainly focused on teaching the group about healthy eating and exercise habits. Later they switch to twice-weekly sessions, but by the end it’s once per month as participants incorporate the lessons they’ve learned into their habits. All classes will be held at the Muscogee Creek Nation Wellness Center located in Okemah. Class sessions will be held throughout the day every Tuesday with class times starting at 7 am, 12 pm, and 4 pm.

Torie Fuller, MS, RD, a Registered Dietician with the Muscogee Creek Nation Diabetes Program, and Leslie Vick, MS, Health Educator for the Okfuskee County Health Department, lead the group that starts September 4, 2018.

Fuller said the lessons can range from nutrition education to how to eat healthy when you don’t make your own meals. Her favorite part of the program, she said, is witnessing the progress people make even after just a few months. “What I most like about it is getting to know a person and seeing the changes from the beginning of the class to the end,” she said.

Class participants will be supported and motivated throughout the program with the chance to win prizes, attend cooking demonstrations, and free exercise classes.

With goals such as reducing obesity and preventing diabetes, results take time. However, the Diabetes Prevention Program has years of proven research and results through the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). Oklahoma has the 10th highest diabetes prevalence rate in the nation, but programs like this can help reduce those numbers and improve quality of life for many Oklahomans.

Anyone interested in learning more about the diabetes prevention program can call Torie Fuller 918-623-1424, ext. 1352.