Email

Print

If your child has been coming home from school asking a lot of questions about their health and the foods they eat, it maybe because it’s diabetes week and this year the International Diabetes Federation is focusing on children and adolescents. That means activities have been focussed on primary schools across the country as the Belize Diabetes Association works towards prevention and control. Since Monday the BDA has been conducting test in the primary schools and today 7NEWS caught up with the team at Queen’s Square Anglican where students were tested.

Jacqueline Godwin Reporting,
The results from the random glucose test indicate that there is a need for continued awareness on diabetes among children. The readings indicate that there are high risk cases among the group of students tested by the Belize Diabetes Association. The numbers ranged from a low of fifty eight to a high of one hundred and fifty four.

Jacqueline Godwin,
Your reading this morning was very high, it was at 154. What did they tell you that you need to do?

David McKoy, 13 years old
“They told me to stop eat junk food.”

A normal reading is between seventy and one hundred and twenty. So does this mean that thirteen year old David McKoy has diabetes?

Joyce Flowers, Programme Organizer – BDA
“It doesn’t necessarily mean he has diabetes but what the Diabetes Association does is we will contact the parents, we will encourage the parents to get another test, and if it is still high for him it is because sometimes it is what they eat. It is a random test, it is not the fasting test and so what we will do is encourage the parents to do another test and take a referral. We give referrals to a doctor who will then take the lab test and diagnose if it is diabetes or what is causing his high blood sugar.”

Diabetes in children is not only caused by poor eating habits and obesity but if there is a family history of the condition, that too can put them at risk and that is why eleven year old William Brown did the test.

William Brown, 11 years old
“It is the first time that I am taking a diabetes test.”

Jacqueline Godwin,
Were you more concerned about whether or not it would hurt or about the number?

William Brown,
“Well I was wondering about the number.”

Jacqueline Godwin,
And what was your number?

William Brown,
“My number was 112.”

Jacqueline Godwin,
So that random test proved that right now you’re okay but then does that mean that you should not watch what you eat?

William Brown,
“It means that I should watch what I eat so that it can go lower and I don’t have to get infected with diabetes.”

Jacqueline Godwin,
Because we know sadly your dad died six years ago from this medical condition so more than likely your chances of getting it are pretty high. So that means you are going to stop drinking all those soft drinks and stop eating those sweets?

William Brown,
“Yes mam.”

Since Monday the BDA has tested over one hundred boys and girls in and effort to identify and prevent the condition in children.

Joyce Flowers,
“A study was done and we find that there are more children coming up with diabetes in Belize. I do not have the figures but we know that more and more children are coming up with diabetes and that is the reason why the Belize Diabetes Association is going into schools and trying to help to prevent diabetes and to also to find the children who have diabetes.”

One plan is to get school children to start eat healthy foods.

Joyce Flowers,
“We know we have a problem with children liking all the junk food and the sweet and so on and so what we are trying to do is to put together like recipes and so on and as I said we will continue throughout the year to work with children in schools as long as the principals and teachers give us that opportunity.”

Jacqueline Godwin,
Do you know anything about diabetes?

David McKoy,
“They said it could make you lose your foot or your hand.”

Jacqueline Godwin,
So when they told you that you got frightened?

David McKoy,
“Yes mam.”

Jacqueline Godwin,
So you think you will stop eating all those sweets and soft drinks?

David McKoy,
“Yes mam.”

Beverly Flowers, Teacher – Queen’s Square
“From a young age we should be taking care of our health. Well of course parents need to take care of the children’s health but it is important. We believe they can carry the message home about how important it is for them to start taking care of themselves.”

Something that Beverly Flowers plans to do. She had expected a normal reading not a result of one hundred and sixty one.

Beverly Flowers,
“I was not expecting it to be high. Well this is the first time I have taken one and well when the young lady said it is high, I am telling the other teacher I just ate a biscuit but sometimes things do happen that we do not realize about our health.”

Jacqueline Godwin,
So what’s the next step for you?

Beverly Flowers,
“Well that was what I was asking her, now that I know it is high what should I do. She told me I need to go and do a complete test and see if it is really so.”

We are not sure just how many of the school children will develop diabetes in their lifetime but if they practise what they learns in school today, they should be in good health. Jacqueline Godwin reporting for 7NEWS.

The week of activities continues on Wednesday when doctors are scheduled to visit schools to talk about diabetes and its complications. On Thursday the Belize Diabetes Association will be visiting the workplace to spread the awareness. Then on Friday there will be a health fair at the parking lot of the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital.