Reducing the Risk of Diabetes Through Collaboration, Commitment, and Innovation

American Diabetes Association Alert Day®, the fourth Tuesday in March, was established to serve as a “wake-up call” for the American public to find out if they are at risk for developing type 2 diabetes by taking a Diabetes Risk Test, while also providing essential information on how to reduce the risk.

Diabetes and its complications are having an increasingly severe impact on the United States, leading to rising deaths and significant societal costs. In the last 20 years, the number of adults diagnosed with diabetes has more than doubled.

About 38 million adults have diabetes, including 8.7 million that don’t know they have it. Furthermore, more than 97.6 million Americans have prediabetes, putting them at high risk for developing type 2 diabetes. These statistics are alarming and underscore the urgent need for public health initiatives that focus on targeted interventions and lifestyle modifications to prevent or delay type 2 diabetes.

Preventing diabetes isn’t just an individual effort—it’s something we must all work on together. Through strong partnerships and innovative programs that provide tools and guidance to help public health professionals do their best work, NACDD is dedicated to making it easier for communities to access the resources they need to prevent and manage diabetes.

Across the country, we help expand programs like the National Diabetes Prevention Program (National DPP), diabetes self-management education and support (DSMES), and other initiatives that make a difference, ensuring more people can get the care they need.

One of our most exciting initiatives is Health and Lifestyle Training (HALT), which is an easy-to-use online platform that provides access to lifestyle coaches, video education, food logging, and participant community support. HALT includes the National DPP lifestyle change program in both English and Spanish, and has been tailored for American Indian communities. It also provides courses on healthy lifestyles, quitting smoking, managing blood pressure, and following the Mediterranean diet. (Coming soon, we’ll be adding programs on arthritis management, behavioral health, family healthy weight, oral health, postpartum care, and more).

HALT is a game-changer because it meets people where they are. Whether you’re a truck driver, teacher, gig worker, or health care professional, you can access these resources anytime and anywhere on your schedule. By leveraging technology to make these programs more accessible, we’re helping more people stick with healthy changes for the long run.

If you are not yet a HALT licensee but are considering adding it to your prevention portfolio – you are welcome to join the HALT Connections Office Hours and listen to how states are expanding their reach in DPP, DSMES, and hypertension control. This monthly forum is a place where HALT users can connect, ask questions, and share ideas.

HALT Connections Office Hours are on the 3rd Thursday of each month at 1 p.m. Eastern Time (ET). Our next one is March 20! Register here.

Visit chronicdisease.org/diabetes to learn more about NACDD’s projects and resources for diabetes prevention. If you haven’t already, I encourage you to join the NACDD Diabetes Council, which serves as a hub for networking, training, and numerous opportunities that empower members in their pursuit of diabetes-related objectives.

Through innovation, collaboration, and commitment, we can create a future where diabetes prevention and management are within reach for everyone. Thank you for being a part of this important mission.

Additional resources:

NDPP Coverage Toolkit is a “one-stop shop” for learning about the the National Diabetes Prevention Program (National DPP) lifestyle change program, providing resources and information for partners and payers interested in achieving or advancing coverage.

Healm is a free-to-use, all-in-one tool for workplace diabetes prevention.