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U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Special Diabetes Program for Indians (SDPI)

SDPI Programs are Ready to Help Warm Springs Community Members Lose Weight as They Jump Into "Action Phase"

Edmund Francis teaching water aerobics.

Edmund Francis teaching water aerobics.

Montell Elliott, the Diabetes Prevention Program Coordinator at the Warm Springs Tribe located in Central Oregon, says participants are in the "call to action" phase of diabetes prevention and management. The tribe has both an SDPI Diabetes Prevention (DP) program and a Community-Directed program, which makes it possible to offer many activities aimed at helping community members increase physical activity and lose weight. The reason the offerings are full of participants is because the grants have been able to build on initial stages. "Native communities have seen grant programs come and go," explains Montell, "but the SDPI programs have been here for nearly 12 years."

She says the first years were spent addressing the" fatalistic" belief many of her clients had about diabetes. "Many believed that they would automatically get diabetes, that there was nothing they could do," recalls Montell. For several years, program activities focused on teaching that diabetes could be prevented or delayed. Montell says the program staff is still teaching the Lifestyle Balance 16-week diabetes prevention curriculum, and now participants are believing the information and acting on it.

Christel Leonard in the Functional Fitness class.

Christel Leonard in the Functional Fitness class.

The SDPI program staff is ready for the "action phase" with a number of weight loss and physical activity classes including:

  • Lifestyle Water Aerobics which is led by Edmund Francis and Jeri Kollen and held in a huge, hot-spring-fed pool.
  • Diabetes Prevention that helps participants stay motivated and deal with setbacks to healthy lifestyle changes, develop and monitor weight loss plans and sample healthy snacks like low-fat cheese and bean burritos.
  • Functional Fitness that is super-tough and motivates participants to keep heart rates up by exercising for one minute at multiple "stations" including a semi-tire-flipping station.
  • Senior Fitness where seniors ages into their 90s do low-impact exercises involving cardio, strength training and Zumba®.
Diabetes Prevention Program Class.

Diabetes Prevention Program Class.

Weight loss results are coming in. Many DP program participants have lost weight and gained muscle. Edmund Francis, who participated in the DP program in 2007, comes from a family in which both parents have histories of cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Because of what Edmund learned in the DP program, he has limited processed foods and eliminated the consumption of alcohol. He does not have diabetes. Now Edmund is the Tribal Wellness Coordinator.

Another community member, Anna Hurtado (Warm Springs), attends water aerobics and a fitness class. She has diabetes and has recently lost about 15 pounds. She says her legs hurt sometimes, but it's a good hurt. "They get sore because I'm exercising them," she says. Anna is 74 years old.