Yearlong program to battle diabetes begins Monday

Next week, a yearlong program for professional drivers at risk of developing type 2 diabetes gets started.

It is one of two diabetes programs presented by the St. Christopher Truckers Development and Relief Fund. Both Driving Down Diabetes programs are approved by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The yearlong program that starts Monday, Jan. 10, features live webinars that focus on nutrition, exercise, stress management, and other issues related to diabetes. A lifestyle coach trained and approved by the CDC leads the program.

Class A over-the-road drivers that enroll are eligible to receive tools to help with tracking and success (for example: scale, blood pressure cuff, activity tracker, and resistance bands). Participants are required to send reports on weight, blood pressure, and activity minutes before each meeting. The time commitment is one year. Meetings are weekly for first four months, biweekly for the fifth and sixth months, and then once a month for the rest of the year. This program is set up to begin every January.

There also is a second program option. It also is CDC-approved. This program can begin at any time. This program in online only. There are no live webinars. Instead, participants watch videos that can be viewed at any time. Participants are encouraged to follow the same timeline as in the first option.

Over-the-road drivers enrolling in this option ca get support from the lifestyle coach. They also can opt to submit their weight, blood pressure, and activity minutes before each meeting. Enrollees that provide their reports are eligible to receive tools to help with tracking and success (as with the other option: scale, blood pressure cuff, activity tracker, and resistance bands).

Diabetes risk assessment test

The St. Christopher Fund offers a prediabetes risk test. It gauges a driver’s risk of getting type 2 diabetes. The assessment inquires of the driver’s age, family history, blood pressure, and other factors.

Take the risk assessment test by clicking here.

Scroll down below the risk assessment to find a registration form for the Driving Down Diabetes programs. It requires a driver to upload a copy of their commercial driver’s license. LL