Submitted photoRegistered dietician Laura Hodges, general manager Adam Hodges and fitness director Kristen Tibbetts helped develop the Diabetes Prevention Program at Anderson Health and Fitness Center.

With more than 86 million people in the United States with pre-diabetes and heading to get Type 2 diabetes, Anderson Health & Fitness Center is on a mission to change the statistics.

Through its new “Diabetes Prevention Program,” the Health & Fitness Center is working to help people stop the progression of pre-diabetes into Type 2 diabetes. The program is recognized and approved by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and helps reverse pre-diabetes through proper diet, exercise and education.

Adam Hodges, General Manager, said “I believe this will be a big step toward a healthier Meridian!” He went on to say: “We are offering this top one-year program and participants will have access to all of the center’s amenities, plus educational sessions on relevant health topics, consultations with a Registered Dietitian and instruction from certified personal trainers.”

To find out more about the program, the Health & Fitness Center is hosting an Open House on Tuesday, Sept. 5, from 5- 7 p.m. If you cannot attend the Open House, visit the Center during regular business hours and fill out a short, one-page screening questionnaire that will determine if you are a candidate for the program.

John Anderson, President and CEO of Anderson Regional Health System, said, “We opened our Diabetes Center 25 years ago, and we have continued to serve as a resource in a region where diabetes is so prevalent. Introducing a diabetes prevention program in our medically based Health & Fitness Center is an additional effort to address this great need in our community.”

Participants will not only have access to the full array of services at the Health & Fitness Center, they will also have the opportunity to attend classroom sessions with topics including: Be a Fat and Calorie Detective, Three Ways to Eat Less Fat and Fewer Calories, Healthy Eating, Move Those Muscles, Being Active – A way of Life, Tip the Calorie Balance, Take Charge of What’s Around You, Problem Solving, Four Keys to Healthy Eating Out, Talk Back to Negative Thoughts, The Slippery Slope of Lifestyle Change, Jump Start Your Activity Plan, Make Social Cues Work for You, You Can Manage Stress, and Ways to Stay Motivated.