The YMCA of Selma-Dallas County and UAB Selma Family Medicine have teamed together to ask people dealing with obesity, hypertension or diabetes a simple question — Y Not?

That’s the name of the YMCA’s new health and wellness initiative that will get underway in January. The program’s purpose is to promote healthier lifestyle choices, such as proper nutrition and getting the recommended amounts of exercise, and to help those facing medical problems such as hypertension, obesity and diabetes.

“All medicine does is treat the disease. People beat the disease,” said UAB Selma Family Medicine’s Kevin Freels, who worked with YMCA CEO Ann Murray to help the program get started. “Their decisions, their choices, their excitement about life beats obesity, beats hypertension, beats diabetes, and I don’t think we had that in Selma.”

The program was originally developed by the University of Pittsburgh Diabetes Prevention Support Center, which found losing 10-15 pounds and becoming moderately active for 150 minutes per week cut the risk of Type 2 Diabetes by 58 percent.

Diabetes, hypertension and obesity are major health problems nationwide.

Sixty-nine percent of Alabama’s population is overweight and 32 percent of the state’s population is obese. Forty percent of Alabama’s population has hypertension, which is the second worst number in the nation.

One in three Americans is projected to have diabetes within the next 20 years.

Those in the YMCA’s program will meet once a week with lifestyle coaches for twelve weeks to learn about nutrition, managing their weight and starting an exercise plan. Once the twelve weeks is up, they will meet once a month.

“I think the thing that the YMCA is going to offer that is different than other programs, is we are going to do it in the midst of community,” Murray said. “People can make new friends and the support system that the Y can provide.”

Murray said the experience will be hands on and will involve a lot of support.

“We’re going to help them along the way,” Murray said. “We aren’t going to just give them the steps. We are going to walk down the steps with them.”

Murray said physicians around Selma have jumped on board, passing out brochures and spreading the word. Those in the program must be referred by a physician.

The program is free with a YMCA membership and some reduced rate assistance is available.

For more information, contact the YMCA at 874-9622.