Beginning in 2010 and into 2011 participating Fitness Together studios across Massachusetts and Rhode Island undertook an ambitious study to determine the impact of individualized fitness training on individuals with diabetes and pre-diabetes.
The study is complete and the results are in. As it turns out, the study has proved what we already knew anecdotally since creating this special program for those with pre-diabetes or type 2 diabetes. The study showed marked improvements in physiological, psychological and emotional areas for our participants. Most participants lost weight, gained muscle, and many even reduced their medications. By the end of the program participants showed a marked improvement in their energy and sense of well being. In short, the results conclude the program was successful in improving the overall health of participants.
The full study in PDF format is available for download: Fitness Together Diabetes Study
“I would like to see all my patients with diabetes so empowered,” noted David M. Harlan, M.D. (William and Doris Krupp Professor of Medicine Chief, Diabetes Division Co-Director, Diabetes Center of Excellence at UMass Worcester).
Going through all the data, Dr Harlan also noted that Fitness Together’s program “appears to have re-energized most enrolled individuals…[most] lost weight, improved their exercise tolerance, and noted important improvements in their blood pressure and diabetes control…[and] participants noted big improvements in their sense of well being allowing them to regain a sense of control over their diabetes.”
The 6 month study was conducted under the auspices of Joan Hill (Diabetes Educator at CMIPA, Consultant at MA Department of Public Health, Owner at Hill Nutrition Consulting, LLC) and in conjunction with the New England Chapter of The American Diabetes Association. The study group consisted of 12 men and 12 women; 15 of them had diabetes and 9 who were considered pre-diabetic.
After subjects gained clearance from their respective physicians, they were weighed, measured and given a fitness assessment by a certified personal Fitness Together trainer. They were also asked to fill out survey questions regarding their ability to manage their diabetes and their over-all sense of well-being. As subjects continued in the fitness program, they were re-assessed approximately every 6 weeks.
Participants in the study had an average weight loss of 10 lbs per person, an average 13% reduction in body fat and an average loss of 2.5 inches in the waist and 1.9 inches in the hips. The group had an average drop in A1C of .86 (meds alone drop A1C by .80), for those with diabetes, the average drop was 1.2 or 50% improvement over meds. Of those on meds, 8 had their meds reduced, 8 stay the same and 1 increased
The study also tracked the psychological and emotional success of the participants through a Sense Of Well Being survey as designed by Joan Hill R.D., C.D.E., L.D.N. and was administered before and after the 6 month study. After participating in the Fitness Together program of strength training, cardio and nutritional guidance, participants in the pre-diabetes category scores indicated a marked improvement in both the ability as well as maintain the motivation to manage their own diabetes routine. Participants with diabetes scored the greatest improvements in “feeling less overwhelmed by the demands of living with diabetes” and more confident in their ability to manage their condition.
The results, as noted in the full study, show that the Fitness Together Type 2 Diabetes Program was successful in improving the physical and emotional health of participants. Many participants continued to stay at Fitness Together after the study period was over and trained for another 6 months or longer.
Read about the study the Fitness Together MA Owner’s Cooperative has undertaken to examine the impact of fitness and exercise on Type 2 diabetics.
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Josh Rosenfeld, owner and trainer at Fitness Together in Natick, MA talks about the Fitness Together program as a sane solution to our nation's exploding costs of obesity and diabetes care.
"I've been here 14 weeks, I've cut my body fat in half, increased my strenght three-fold probably...I am in control of my diabetes as opposed to my diabetes being in control of me."
– Jim
Fitness Together
Diabetes Study Participant
Together We Can Lower Health Care Costs
Congress has passed legislation to overhaul our healthcare system, lower costs and provide every American with health insurance coverage. Yet it could be several years before we see positive results. It's true that our healthcare system is inefficient and laden with excessive costs. But are the health insurance companies and medical community solely to blame? What can we, as citizens, do to help lower costs and make our insurance coverage more affordable?
The answer is: We can do more to take better care of ourselves.
Take type 2 diabetes for example. In recent years diabetes has become an epidemic. Data from the 2011 National Diabetes Fact Sheet says that: 25.8 million children and adults in the U.S. – 8.3% of the population—have diabetes and another 79 million people have pre-diabetes. In 2010 1.9 million new cases of diabetes were diagnosed in people aged 20 years and older. Diabetes was listed as the underlying cause on 71,382 death certificates and was listed as a contributing factor on an additional 160,022 death certificates in 2007. This means that diabetes contributed to a total of 231,404 deaths.
From a cost perspective, average medical expenditures among people with diagnosed diabetes were 2.3 times higher than what expenditures would be in the absence of diabetes. With a predicted 52.9% increase in incidence rate from 2003 to 2023, the potential human and economic burden of diabetes in the future is staggering.
Currently 10% of health care dollars are spent on overall direct costs related to diabetes, amounting to $92 billion a year (1.5 times the amount spent on stroke or heart disease). The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention predicts that spending on diabetes care will reach $192 billion in 2020.
The good news is that, while there's no cure yet for Type 1 diabetes, Type 2 diabetes can be reversed with proper diet and exercise. And of all people afflicted with diabetes, 90-95% of them have Type 2. This means we can help the vast majority of diabetics get healthier. At Fitness Together, we help our clients lose weight, lower blood pressure and lower blood glucose - often to the point where they need fewer meds.
By decreasing dependency on medication, Fitness Together’s program can help people live healthier, more productive lives while doing our part to help lower health care costs.
In Good Health,
Steve Lichtman
Fitness Together Eastern New England Franchise Owner’s Co-operative
