There’s a need for us to change our mindset and our behaviour if we truly want to be an island of healthy people.That, in a nutshell, was the view of those who attended a three-day youth empowerment symposium organised by the Bermuda Diabetes Association and the Bermuda Hospitals Board.The event was arranged to determine what programmes would best help Bermuda, and especially the Island’s youth, understand the importance of preventing diabetes and of managing it should it develop or if a person was born with it (type-1 diabetes).Locals from a variety of disciplines took part in the KPMG-funded symposium. Guided by three overseas facilitators, the group brainstormed in its first meeting on why diabetes is on the rise in Bermuda and offered solutions.In the second meeting smaller groups examined the various solutions and chose one to develop into a programme. Each group was charged with fleshing out their programme, giving a full description, outlining its goals and objectives, putting it through a SWOT analysis, (where the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of the program are identified) and setting ‘smart goals’ ie goals that are specific, achievable, realistic and time sensitive.In their third meeting, participants looked at each of the programmes and agreed on three that should be pursued by the diabetes association: 1. a campaign to promote healthy eating which includes messages that makes it cool for those with diabetes to manage it; 2. a campaign and programs to get Bermudians to be more physically active and 3. a seminar and programs to address the needs of Type-1 diabetic children, determined largely by this group of children.Debbie Jones, specialist diabetes nurse and founder of the Bermuda Diabetes Association hailed the three-day event a success. Committees for each of the programmes were formed and a first meeting date for each was agreed on.“People felt this is a massive problem and that it is a problem we have to address,” she said. “We have to change people’s thinking, their whole mindset around eating,” she added.“Our whole perspective has changed so that people now think it’s the norm to eat out. People don’t want to prepare a meal or even go for a walk, so it’s going to be an uphill battle,” she said of reducing the rate of diabetes on the Island.But it’s one those who attended the symposium are excited to fight. Facilitator Lorne Abramson of the Diabetes Education and Camping Association said the events were a “wonderful collaboration of parents, young adults and healthcare professionals.He said: “The resulting programs will be a huge benefit to the population of both youth, and adults with Type 1 and 2 diabetes and their families. “