Kiosk at White Mountain Library to Help Those in #PreventDiabetes Program

Kiosk at White Mountain Library to Help Those in #PreventDiabetes Program

Christina Brown, Customer Success Manager Diabetes Lifestyle Coach, shows off the new kiosk at the White Mountain Library. Courtesy photo

ROCK SPRINGS — A program geared toward diabetes prevention and living a healthier lifestyle is now available right here in Sweetwater County. 

The Wyoming Department of Health (WDH), the Sweetwater County Library System and incentaHEALTH, a digital wellness company, have created a partnership to help Wyoming residents become healthier and assist those who have been diagnosed with prediabetes. Prediabetes means a person’s blood glucose (sugar) levels are higher than normal, but not high enough to be diagnosed as diabetes.

According to 2019 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System Data, Wyoming has an estimated 35,000 people that have been told they have prediabetes. Additionally, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) estimates one in three adults has prediabetes in the United States and 90 percent of them don’t even know they have it. 

Advertisement - Story continues below...

“We’re here to help improve health in Wyoming,” Lia Kleppe Director of Partnerships and Development
incentaHEALTH said. 

At the Rock Springs Chamber of Commerce luncheon Thursday, Sweetwater County Library Director Jason Grubb and Kleppe announced the opening of a kiosk at the White Mountain Library, which will be used for the #PreventDiabetes program. The kiosk is meant to be a fun experience for those participating in the program, Kleppe said. The program can also be used to create a healthier workforce at a business. 

The incentaHEALTH #PreventDiabetes program is fully recognized by the CDC. It’s a year-long, home-based program aimed at reducing Type 2 diabetes risk, improving health outcomes, and reducing healthcare costs. Enrollment in the program is free for any Wyoming resident over 18 years old who is at risk for developing type 2 diabetes. Some risk factors include being 45 or older, family history of type 2 diabetes, history of gestational diabetes, being overweight or obese, having high blood pressure or having high cholesterol.

According to Kleppe, those with type 2 diabetes can spend around $10,000 a year on healthcare costs. She said even reducing one’s weight by 5 percent can reduce the risk of diabetes. She said it’s now even more important to launch this program because during the COVID-19 pandemic the average weight gain per person was 29 pounds. 

Those who qualify for the program, will use an app to help them. Not only will they receive shopping lists and meal plans catered to their personal tastes, but work out ideas. Kleppe said the “nudge-based” program requires participants to attend webinars and weekly weigh ins. However, that’s not all as the program also offers cash rewards every 90 days participants are able to lose weight and maintain a healthy weight. 

Kleppe said the cash rewards have proven to be a real incentive for people to start the program, however once they are in the program, the real incentive is how happy they are with how they look and feel. The long-term results are what really makes the program successful.

Those who would like more information on this program, can click here. Those who are interested can also try a simple online screening test to learn about their personal diabetes risk offered by the CDC.