Healthy Habits Help Prevent Type 2 Diabetes in Taos

According to the American Diabetes Association, nearly 15 percent of New Mexicans have type 2 diabetes, and another 34 percent are prediabetic. If left untreated, type 2 diabetes can cause serious health problems, such as heart disease, vision loss, and kidney disease. 

Concerned about this growing epidemic and the lack of local preventive resources, several team members at Taos Whole Health reached out to LOR with an idea: launch a free year-long program developed by the CDC that helps people develop healthy habits to prevent type 2 diabetes.

Support from LOR will fund the training of the lifestyle coaches who guide participants through the evidence-based curriculum, which focuses on making realistic behavior changes through healthy eating, increasing physical activity, and managing stress. It will also cover other costs associated with launching and promoting the program, including a new website, an awareness campaign, venue fees for group meetings, and lab testing fees.