Adult Intervention

The project involves a community weight-loss intervention based on the Diabetes Prevention Program’s “Lifestyle Balance” curriculum, which has been effective at preventing the onset of type 2 diabetes in patients diagnosed with pre-diabetes by facilitating weight loss through long-term lifestyle change.  American Indian participants will help culturally tailor the 16-week program to make it specific to American Indians.  The goals of the program are for participants to lose 7% of their body weight and to gradually achieve a weekly physical activity (primarily walking) goal of 60 minutes per day/5 days per week.  The intervention will include 4 community groups who will help to tailor the program to the Native community.  We will be working with the Haskell Health Center’s Diabetes Prevention Program for referrals into the program. This weight loss program is free to participants and is open to people who are 18-75 years of age with a current BMI greater than or equal to 27, and less than or equal to 45.  The program will accept individuals who have an interest in losing weight, people with a stable weight who have not gained or lost more than 10 lbs in the past 3 months, and who are able to attend group meetings once per week for 16 weeks.  Eligible finger-stick and physician clearance is also required to participate.  Participants are not required to have a diagnosis of pre-diabetes in order to be eligible to participate.