For over 40 years, the Knox County Health Department has offered the Diabetes Management Series, a program designed to help people with diabetes manage their health and prevent long-term complications. This month, KCHD partnered with Eat Smart, Move More, and Prevent Diabetes (ESMMPD) to launch a new online program called the Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP) to help expand services focusing on preventing the disease altogether.

The DPP is a CDC-recognized lifestyle change program that aims to prevent or delay the onset of type 2 diabetes. This program is offered across the country and is proven by research to cut the risk of type 2 diabetes by more than half. The program encourages healthy lifestyle changes that not only lower the risk of type 2 diabetes, but lower the risk of heart attack and stroke as well. Through a grant-funded partnership with the state of Tennessee, KCHD will be covering the cost of the 12-month online program for those who qualify.

To find out if you qualify for the DPP, take this short survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/DPPdoiqualify. For those who qualify, KCHD will send an enrollment code to sign up for free. For any questions or help signing up, email nutrition@knoxcounty.org or call 865-215-5170.

According to the 2019-2020 Knox County Community Health Assessment, diabetes is the eighth leading cause of death in Knox County. In fact, the CDC reports that about 1 in every 10 people in the nation have diabetes and more than 1 in 3 people in the United States have prediabetes.

People who have prediabetes are at increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Losing just a small amount of weight and getting regular physical activity can lower a person’s risk for developing type 2 diabetes. KCHD is launching the DPP to help people who live or work Knox County accomplish that.