Why a health tracker received’t cease diabetes

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Prediabetes can be reversed – but it takes time, support, and IRL lifestyle changes that apps and smartwatches can’t.

November has been the US National Diabetes Awareness Month for decades, and national diabetes rates have continued to rise for decades. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reports that 88 million American adults – more than one in three – already have prediabetes. Unfortunately, that number is growing too, and we shouldn’t be looking for technology solutions.

People with prediabetes can become insulin resistant. But most – 84% – don’t even know they have it, which puts them at higher risk of not only developing diabetes but also heart disease, stroke, and even severe COVID-19. A study presented at an American Diabetes Association event in June found that 40% of Americans who died from COVID-19 had diabetes as a comorbidity.

It may be heresy to say it in this app-obsessed era, but technology isn’t going to fix that problem. The increasing adoption of smart gadgets, fitness trackers and wellness apps in the US has not hindered rising obesity rates or rising prediabetes cases, nor has fads. When it comes to prediabetes, the technique just doesn’t work.

If you are one of the 88 million, you can now make lifestyle changes to reverse the underlying conditions associated with your prediabetes status such as obesity, high blood pressure, and high blood sugar. Type 2 diabetes is not inevitable. But prevention is more than just counting calories or steps. It requires getting healthier.

There’s no app for that – but that doesn’t mean there’s no help.

Lifestyle change is a process that requires commitment. The one-year National Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP), launched by the CDC, has been shown to reduce participants’ risk of developing type 2 diabetes by 58% (71% for those over 60 years of age). It works, but not at the push of a button.

DPP depends on the behavior change over a whole year with integrated advice and support along many vectors. You will be guided in how to create a personal plan, try it out, and likely fail. Then make a new plan and iterate and learn what works for you with reinforcement and professional support to get through tough times. For some, finding time to be active is important. For others, it’s about figuring out stress triggers or realizing what a healthy serving of food really looks like. A full year of coaching will guide you through the initial excitement of trying something new and will continue to support you after the new has subsided. DPP is structured on human interaction for human empowerment. An app alone cannot do that.

From the point of view of changing habits, fitness equipment is not enough. In order to achieve sustainable lifestyle changes in the long term, they need to integrate into your real life in the real world.

The good news is that the CDC’s DPP is covered by Medicare, Medicaid, and major health insurers. The focus is on creating small, continuous habit changes that combine regular activity, healthy eating, stress management, sleep hygiene, mindfulness, and learning for better overall wellbeing. Fitness tracking apps and calorie counters can play a role in the program, but for truly sustainable change, their insights are incorporated into a personal and cohort experience that includes individual coaching and a sense of community.

It’s never too late to improve your health and transform your future. You can start with the free prediabetes risk test on the CDC website. Ask your doctor if you qualify for a covered diabetes prevention program with certified DPP trainers in your area.

A diagnosis of prediabetes doesn’t mean your fate is sealed. DPP can help you reverse it. You don’t need an app to let you know that the lifestyle change is in your hands.
Karl Ronn is the founder and CEO of First Mile Care (www.firstmilecare.com), a preventive chronic care company. Mr. Ronn is a former Vice President Research and Development and General Manager New Business / Healthcare for Procter & Gamble. First Mile Care is a spinout from Health2047, the American Medical Association’s innovation subsidiary in Silicon Valley.