Local nonprofit Champions for Health is collaborating with the YMCA of San Diego County to launch a program aimed at preventing type 2 diabetes throughout the county.
The new “Jump Start for Health” will debut at the Toby Wells YMCA in Kearny Mesa with weekly group meetings, nutrition counseling and personalized coaching. Over the next year, the program will be offered at other YMCA locations and community sites.
Participants will include adults at risk of developing type 2 diabetes due to family history, weight, age and environmental factors.
“Instead of focusing on dieting, our Jump Start program will help participants identify their personal barriers to success,” said Barbara Mandel, CEO of Champions for Health. “Then, we will guide them in creating an action plan to navigate around these obstacles so they can improve their health.”
“Jump Start will promote diabetes prevention without prescription medication intervention,” she added, by using a “whole-person” approach developed by the San Diego-based nonprofit Skinny Gene Project.
“We have proven that we can cut a person’s risk for developing type 2 diabetes by at least 58 percent,” explained Marlayna Bollinger, Skinny Gene founder and executive director. “Our program can help add more years and quality of life.”
