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H E A LT H L I N KS torrancememorial.org PULSE | 11 Ng stresses the importance of under- standing the difference between saturated and unsaturated fats when trying to lose weight and combat diabetes. "I don't usu- ally use the phrase 'bad fats,' but when you do include fats in your diet, you would want more unsaturated fats," Ng adds. Partici- pants learn that unsaturated fats come from vegetables, nuts, seeds, fish and olive oil; sat- urated fat sources include processed meats and solid fats such as butter and margarine. Kendel has taken this advice to heart, constantly referencing labels to assess the total fat grams in all of her meal portions. "at was what [our group] counted, the fat calories. Depending on your weight, you were allowed 'x' number of fat grams per day," Kendel said. Jamisson Costa, regional director of the YMCA Diabetes Prevention Program, hopes that stories like Kendel's will become even more common as the program grows. "We started with one class, with about four to six participants," Costa said. "Now we are at six classes with between 12 and 16 par- ticipants in each class." Not only are patients losing weight, but a high number are also re- versing their status as pre-diabetic. "People who lost weight in the program haven't gained back any weight; they were able to lose more and maintain it," Costa says. "Number one: more than 80% are not pre-diabetic anymore." Costa is enthralled by the exponential growth the program is finding locally; "I can already see that more doctors are recom- mending people to us, and the program is expanding to other areas in the region," he says proudly. "By the end of the year we ex- pect all of the YMCAs in Los Angeles to be offering it," Costa says. County-wide expansion aside, Costa has made a special impact on Liddi Kendel's life. "Jamisson is a wonderful coach; he listens, he comes with advice. I can't say enough about (the program). Before, I was taking two-hour naps," Kendel recalls. "Now, I feel energized again and do an hour's worth of yard work in the aernoon. It's an absolutely wonderful program that works." LATCH ON: AUGUST IS BREASTFEEDING AWARENESS MONTH O n August 6, 2011, the United States Breastfeeding Committee (yes, there is one!) officially declared August as National Breastfeeding Month. e breastfeeding campaign, funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, was created to educate and inspire women to commit to breastfeeding by highlighting new research showing that babies who are exclusively breastfed for six months are less likely to develop ear infections, diarrhea and respiratory illnesses, and may be less likely to develop childhood obesity. Go to usbreastfeeding.org/NBM for details on local and national events. Torrance Memorial Medical Center offers a class called PreNatal Breastfeeding to give mothers and their partners information on breastfeeding basics before the baby is born. Discussion topics include the advantages of breastfeeding, how to prevent prob- lems and overcome difficulties, and tips for breast- feeding success. Classes are held twice a month on Thursdays 6:30 – 9:30 p.m. at the Health Education Center. (310) 517-4711. For details on joining the program, visit ymcaLA.org /DPP or email JamissonCosta@ymcaLA.org. GOING OUT IN STYLE If there is anyone who epitomizes what YMCA service looks like, it's Robert Schafer. Aer serving 44 years as a YMCA professional director, and 19 years as the senior vice president/executive director of the Torrance South Bay YMCA, Schafer retired at the end of last year, December 31, 2015. And in those more than 60 years, he definitely got around. During his career he worked for five different YMCAs in San Diego and Los Angeles. In addition to his position as executive director of the local Y, Schafer also was responsible for capital construction projects for the YMCA of Metropolitan Los Angeles and its 26 branches. What does he plan to do now? "I'll continue to be involved in the community," Schafer asserts. "I'll still work with the Y and the Rotary Club of Del Amo. And I'm looking forward to doing more gardening and traveling." Congratulations and thank you for your service, Bob Schafer. Torrance Memorial Medical Center is proud to be a YMCA partner in health.