The Diabetes Association, Inc. (DAI) has been singled out by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health to develop a program to bring diabetes awareness and prevention to the workplace. The pilot program is adapted from the Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP), a study conducted by the National Institute of Health. In this trial 1,079 participants who were at high risk for diabetes were engaged in successful lifestyle coaching along with a weight loss and regular exercise program. The trial was fabulously successful with a 58% reduction in the incidence of diabetes among the pre-diabetic participants. A minimum of 7% weight loss/weight maintenance and a minimum of 150 minutes of physical activity per week were the two major objectives of the intervention. Teaming up with Lightolier, a Fall River lighting company in the Airport Industrial Park with over 600 employees, the DAI  began with an awareness campaign entitled “Do a little, get a lot!” in February and March 2007, designed to alert the workforce to the little things they can do that result in big differences in terms of calorie count and staying active. Do a Little, Get a Lot! is followed by screenings and health risk assessments through a partnership with Southcoast Hospital Group. Those found to be pre-diabetic are invited to participate in the 8-week program, Move, Lose, Prevent Diabetes! .For more information, contact Julianne Kelly, Executive Director or Virginia Senna-Davis, Diabetes Advocate at 508-672-5671.
 

(Top row, left) DAI's Youth & Family Program Director, Bill DaPonte and Diabetes Advocate, Ginny Senna-Davis finish setting up their display table at the Lightolier cafeteria. (Top row, right) Bill Daponte points out the advantages of eating yogurt and fruit instead of cakes and cookies for dessert. (Middle row) Employees sign up for a weekly drawing for a year membership at the Southcoast Y.M.C.A. or a pair of New Balance walking or running shoes. (Bottom row, left) Lightolier employee nurse Catherine Theodore, R.N. recommends that planner Eduardo Texeira sample the low fat desserts offered by the Diabetes Association (Bottom row, center and right) Bill Daponte talks with assembler-packer Maurice Ouellette, who has recently lost over 100 pounds, before going over some of the literature from the Healthy City Personal Health web page.