![Group Weight-Loss Program Help Reduce Diabetes Risk in Obese Group Weight-Loss Program Help Reduce Diabetes Risk in Obese](https://www.medindia.net/afp/images/US-health-research-cancer-56687.jpg)
The program included education on a low calorie diet, exercise and weekly group support sessions.
The fact that participants who attended regularly improved the most only reinforces the importance of group therapy.
"We know that previous research programs have successfully reduced diabetes risk using intensive lifestyle treatment," said Kathleen Melanson, study co-author.
"But what we didn't know is that a program that costs appreciably much less than specially-designed diabetes prevention programs would have a profound impact on the same risk factors for type 2 diabetes. These findings could have important public health potential," Melanson added.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, the total cost of treatment of diabetes in the United States exceeds 200 billion dollars, making treatment and prevention a priority for healthcare experts.
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Karen Miller-Kovach, chief scientific officer for Weight Watchers International, said: "Individual lifestyle intervention is obviously successful in reducing the risk for diabetes, but it comes at a high cost, and may not be realistic for all Americans."
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The study will be published in this month's American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine.
Source-ANI
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