Free health Prevent plan

A new program called Let’s Prevent will start up in Manjimup and Bridgetown, aimed at reducing the risk of type 2 diabetes, heart disease and strokes.

The free program, run through Diabetes WA, will begin early this month and provide personalised health plans for participants.

Diabetes WA general health services manager Deb Schofield said there was no one size fits all when it came to managing and improving health.

“Often people know that they need to make a change, but they don’t know what to change, or by how much,” she said. “This program supports people to make small, positive changes to their lifestyle that will make a big difference to their health in the future.”

She said the program would help get people on the right track, by identifying changes they could commit to and sustain.

“The ultimate goal of Let’s Prevent is to enable participants to avoid or delay a diagnosis of one of the three most common chronic conditions, namely type 2 diabetes, heart disease and stroke,” Ms Schofield said.

The Social Health Atlas, compiled by the Public Health Information Development Unit, estimated about 78 per cent of the population living in the Shire of Manjimup have at least one of the four main health behaviours that increase the risk of chronic conditions.

In the Shire of Bridgetown-Greenbushes, the number is about 82 per cent.

These health behaviours include smoking, consuming big quantities of alcohol, being obese or engaging in little to no physical activity.

The first Let’s Prevent session in Manjimup will be held on May 9.