Human Needs Index Shows Unmet Need in Rural America

Obesity and Disease Prevention

Healthy Living Partnerships to Prevent Diabetes (HELP PD) is a community-based lifestyle weight-loss program designed for overweight or obese adults with prediabetes.1 The goal is for participants to lose 5-7% of their body weight over six months – through increased physical activity (at least 180 minutes/week) and limited caloric intake (approximately 1,500 calories/day) – and to maintain the weight loss for an additional 18 months. The program is delivered over 24 months. For the first six months (the intensive phase), participants attend 24 weekly group sessions (8-12 participants per group), each of which is led by a trained community health worker. The sessions take place at community sites, such as recreation centers or parks. The sessions focus on reducing caloric intake (e.g., reducing portion sizes), increasing aerobic physical activity (e.g., brisk walking), and adopting behavioral self-management strategies (e.g., controlling negative emotions). Participants also receive three personalized consultations with a registered dietitian. During the next 18 months (the maintenance phase), participants have two contacts each month with the community health worker – one group session and one telephone call – to reinforce the strategies described above and help participants address barriers to weight loss. The community health workers were recruited specifically for the study described below, and all have well-controlled type 2 diabetes and a history of healthy eating and physical activity. They each received brief training (36 hours) from registered dietitians, who also monitored their delivery of the program. The program’s cost is $961 per participant (in 2017 dollars). Read the source article at Social Programs That Work