Through funding from Michigan Department of Community Health, MSU Extension and MSU Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition are working together on a pilot project which addresses the lifestyle management of diabetes. Two distinct programs, both focusing on behavior modification, are included in this study. Each of the two programs is currently being implemented in one urban and one rural county in Michigan.
The programs are similar in many ways, including their patient-centered approaches which incorporate behavior change strategies. Both programs also recognize that management of chronic disease can be achieved through behavior change education which serves as an adjunct to disease-specific medical treatment. These programs are designed to assist participants in setting goals which are straightforward and achievable as well as assist participants in developing action plans which help them to reach their goals. 
The first intervention, which is currently underway in Kent, Missaukee and Wexford Counties is
Personal Action Towards Health (PATH)
The second intervention, Diabetes Health: It's in Your Hands is underway in Wayne and Branch Counties. This program is a series of ten 1 ½ hour sessions. These interactive sessions includes some of the following topics:
- Getting to Know You
- Finding Your Path to Health
- Staying Healthy
- Food: Why It's Important
- Lowering Fat
- Eating on the Run
- Stress Management
This research project is absolutely free! It is underway in the following counties: Wexford, Missaukee, Kent, Wayne, and Branch.
Although we have not completed the evaluation phase of the projects, participants have shared personal successes with the program. These successes include the development of support groups; increases in physical activity; weight loss; better self-management skills; and improved communication with loved ones and health care providers.
