Health Update: Helping People with Nutrition Goals – What Experts Say

Diabetes and its precursor, prediabetes have become a silent epidemic in the United States, and Utah is no exception. And on top of that, more Americans are paying attention to nutrition and healthy eating.

To help adults with nutrition lifestyle changes, or diabetes-related goals, Intermountain Health offers a virtual series of classes taught by registered dietitian nutritionists called Way to Wellness.

Way to Wellness classes use evidence-based methods to increase physical activity, improve nutrition, and address various health conditions such as prediabetes, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, or high cholesterol. Way to Wellness has been approved by the CDC as a diabetes prevention program.

Making healthy lifestyle changes can feel overwhelming, but during Way to Wellness classes, Intermountain dietitians meet with people individually first to understand their unique health conditions or diagnoses.

Virtual visits and virtual classes are very convenient and make it easier for people to set aside time to talk about their nutrition and lifestyle goals individually with a dietitian and also connect with others class members with similar goals.

“We teach people how to start where they are with small steps and give them tools to help them make lifestyle changes on their own, ” said Kimberly Funk, MS, RDN, a registered dietitian nutritionist with Intermountain Health’s Way to Wellness program based in the Salt Lake City area.

“We help people work on things like making peace with food, and practicing self-compassion. Then support them in learning to use the tools that work best for them,” she added.

Way to Wellness classes include individual visits and group sessions

The Way to Wellness series includes 23 classes. There are three one-on-one hour-long virtual visits with a registered dietitian nutritionist to talk about your individual nutrition and lifestyle goals. Twenty sessions are a 90-minute group class led by a dietitian with the same group of people

Classes meet once a week in the evenings for the first 6-8 weeks and then meet every other week for a few months. During the last 6 months classes are held every 3-4 weeks. Class members really get to know and support each other. Class members can seek additional support from their dietitian by sending messages between classes.

“There are no forbidden foods. We teach people how to add nutrient dense foods instead of subtracting their favorite foods and how to find balance with these foods. We also help people discover simple ways to add more movement or physical activity to their life, support them during setbacks by finding ways to keep moving forward,” said Funk.

Way to Wellness class topics include:

• Principles of healthy eating
• Diabetes prevention
• Grocery shopping
• Healthy cooking
• Exercise and fitness
• Health-related behavior change
• Menu planning
• Eating out and special occasions
• Weight maintenance
• Stress management
• Emotional eating
• Body image
• Intuitive eating

Way to Wellness classes are typically covered by most Select Health insurance plans if you have been diagnosed with prediabetes, diabetes or other health issues or comorbidities. Way to Wellness is also covered by some other insurance plans and Medicare. Check with your individual insurance plan to learn if classes are covered.

For more information or to register, visit the Way to Wellness page on intermountainhealth.org or call 801-507-2400.