National Diabetes Day focuses on children

Today is National Diabetes Day. We are reminded that thousands of children across the globe are inflicted with this chronic disease.

The World Diabetes Day campaign in 2007 and 2008 aims to:

1. Increase the number of children supported by the International Diabetes Federation's Life for a Child Program
2. Raise awareness of the warning signs of diabetes
3. Encourage initiatives to reduce diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) and distribute materials to support these initiatives
4. Promote healthy lifestyles to help prevent type 2 diabetes in children

Although we do not know the exact cause of diabetes, it appears that genetics, inactivity and obesity play a role. That is why it is so important and so necessary that we teach our children at a young age the value of healthy living. It's very concerning because we are seeing a growing number of children and teens have the more common form of diabetes, type 2, which used to be called adult-onset diabetes because it did not occur in children.

I can tell you that as an ICU nurse I cared for countless patients who suffered from diabetes. The longer they had diabetes, the greater the chance they would have a serious complication.

Prevalence of Diagnosed and Undiagnosed Diabetes in the United States, All Ages, 2007

• Total: 23.6 million people, 7.8 percent of the population have diabetes.
• Diagnosed: 17.9 million people
• Undiagnosed: 5.7 million people

If you would like to read more about World Diabetes Organization, click here

Another good resource is American Diabetic Association.