FSU Health Lifestyle Medicine Clinic opens registration for 12-week LEADR program focused on diabetes remission and healthier living
Tallahassee, Florida – The FSU Health Lifestyle Medicine Clinic is accepting registrations for a new 12-week program aimed at helping people with prediabetes and type 2 diabetes make lasting changes to their daily habits and improve their health.
The Lifestyle Empowerment Approach for Diabetes Remission, known as LEADR, begins Wednesday, August 26. The program was developed by the American College of Lifestyle Medicine and will be offered through the FSU Health Lifestyle Medicine Clinic in Tallahassee.
The group-based program is designed to give participants practical knowledge, support and accountability as they work on improving blood sugar control. For some people, the lifestyle changes promoted through the program may also help them achieve diabetes remission.
Rather than focusing only on treating the symptoms of type 2 diabetes, LEADR takes a broader approach. The curriculum is built around six pillars of lifestyle medicine: healthy eating, regular physical activity, restorative sleep, stress management, positive social connections and avoiding risky substances.
Participants will learn how those areas of daily life can affect overall health and how small, consistent changes can become part of a sustainable routine. The program is structured to help people understand their own goals and make choices that fit their lives.
“One of the things I love most about the LEADR program is that it truly puts the patient in the driver’s seat of their own health,” said Kathleen P. Wilson, assistant dean of graduate programs for the FSU College of Nursing and provider at the FSU Health Lifestyle Medicine Clinic. “Lifestyle medicine is built on shared decision making. We work alongside each participant to understand their goals and develop strategies using the six pillars of lifestyle medicine. Our role is to educate, encourage and guide, while empowering individuals to make choices that create meaningful, lasting improvements in their health.”
The approach is not limited to people who are already dealing with diabetes. Wilson said the principles of lifestyle medicine can be useful for people at different points in their health journey.
“While anyone can benefit from learning the foundations of healthy living, we’ve seen individuals with prediabetes and type 2 diabetes experience remarkable long-term improvements through this program,” she said. “LEADR gives people the education, accountability and community support they need to make changes that can positively impact their health for years to come.”
The FSU Health Lifestyle Medicine Clinic is a clinical practice of the Florida State University College of Nursing. The clinic is also described as the nation’s first college-based, nurse practitioner-led lifestyle medicine clinic.
Through the LEADR program, the clinic is expanding access to the lifestyle medicine curriculum developed by the American College of Lifestyle Medicine for people in Tallahassee, Leon County and nearby communities.
The program reflects the clinic’s broader focus on helping people prevent, manage and potentially reverse chronic disease through education and sustainable changes in behavior. Instead of presenting lifestyle changes as a short-term plan, the program emphasizes habits that can become part of everyday life.
For people who want to learn more before committing to the full 12-week program, the clinic will hold a free LEADR preview session on Wednesday, August 19. The session will run from 2 to 4 p.m. and will provide an introduction to the program, including what participants can expect during the weekly meetings.
The preview will also give community members an opportunity to learn more about how lifestyle medicine can contribute to long-term health. There is no charge to attend, although registration is required because space is limited.
The August LEADR cohort will meet every Wednesday from 2 to 4 p.m. for 12 consecutive weeks. Sessions will be held at the FSU Health Lifestyle Medicine Clinic at 1630 Riggins Road in Tallahassee.
The format gives participants a regular setting in which they can learn, discuss their experiences and receive support as they work toward their health goals. The group structure is an important part of the program, providing participants with a community while they work through lifestyle changes.
The clinic’s emphasis on sustainable behavior is particularly relevant for people who may have struggled with making health changes on their own. LEADR combines education with accountability and peer support, giving participants a structured way to work on the six lifestyle medicine pillars.
Those interested in the free preview or the upcoming 12-week cohort can complete the program interest form available through the FSU Health Lifestyle Medicine Clinic website.
Registration for the program is now open, and community members who are considering participating can use the preview session as an opportunity to better understand the approach before the new cohort begins.
With the first session scheduled for August 26, the clinic is offering Tallahassee-area residents a structured program focused on practical lifestyle changes, improved blood sugar control and long-term health. For some participants, those changes could also become an important step toward diabetes remission.
