World Diabetes Day : November 14, 2007

246 million people around the world live with diabetes. In developing countries children with diabetes are not able to afford diabetes and supplies are not available. The IDF Life for a Child Program supports the care of over 700 children around the world. Diabetes is especially hard on children.

Diabetes can interfere with normal development in children and teens. The Life for a Child Program helps to support children, families and communities to provide medications, supplies and education to prevent complications in kids with diabetes. We used to see children with type 1 diabetes, but with soaring obesity rates, diabetes type 2 is now manifesting is youth under age 20. Before childhood obesity became such a big issue, type 2 diabetes did not develop until after age 45 in middle-aged, sedentary adults. Today almost 177, 000 kids under age 21 in the US have type 2 diabetes.

The National Diabetes Education Program offers tip sheets for teens and children:

• Stay at a Healthy Weight
• Make Healthy Food Choices
• Lower Your Risk for Type 2 Diabetes
• Quiz for Teens with Diabetes

Let's honor World Diabetes Day by being active with the children and teens in our lives - take steps to be active, eat whole, nutritious food, and stop the epidemic of type 2 diabetes.

Thank you Miran Rijavec for Obesity: a rising problem in India