Diabetes Prevention Missing Essential Component According to Behavioral Expert

SAN DIEGO, Dec. 14, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Roughly 30 million people in the US - 9.3% of the total population - are currently living with diabetes. November is National Diabetes Month, and to help punctuate the month, behavioral change expert and founder of SelfHelpWorks Lou Ryan is urging programs that work to prevent diabetes to include cognitive behavioral training.

The Missing Link

Cognitive behavioral training helps to support the changing emotional needs of diabetics and those who suffer from pre-diabetes alike. These needs often go unmet by many programs, and that can lead to additional problems with the health condition.

"CBT is an effective method for getting rid of unhealthy habits that most people find too tough to give up for any length of time. Good examples are smoking or snacking on sugary or starchy foods. These can literally kill a diabetic over time," said Ryan.

The goal of most programs is to help stop diabetes, and that won't happen without ending the unhealthy habits. 

"Knowing you need to stop is very different from actually stopping – that's where cognitive behavioral training comes in. It's highly effective in breaking what we call the 'emotional trained response' that keeps people tied to their cigarettes or unhealthy foods," said Ryan.

Understanding Cognitive Behavioral Training

CBT is the process of ending the patterns that result in emotional dependency on unwanted behaviors. It works to replace them with rational responses and healthier patterns. CBT can help change the mindset, which may lead to a more lasting shift.

Ryan said, "The emotional impact of diabetes can be devastating . . . It's critical to have effective emotional tools and strategies for getting back on top."

ABOUT SELFHELPWORKS, INC.

SelfHelpWorks is the leading provider of online video-based lifestyle and disease management interventions for reducing population health risk. The interventions produce sustained behavior change using an evidence-based cognitive behavioral training approach derived from cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). They target important issues such as obesity and unhealthy eating, tobacco addiction, diabetes, chronic stress, alcohol abuse and inactivity. The interventions are primarily offered by corporations interested in improving employee health and productivity, and by top tier value-based health and wellness providers.

Bryan Noar, VP Marketing

SelfHelpWorks

2727 Camino del Rio South Suite 110

San Diego, CA  92108

619-296-6001

SOURCE SelfHelpWorks, Inc.