It is estimated that one in five people, or 20 percent of the population in Bermuda, has been diagnosed with diabetes. And according to the latest statistics, Bermuda has one of the highest rates of diabetes in the world. The reason?

“Lack of physical exercise and being overweight,” says Debbie Jones, the co-ordinator of the Diabetes Centre at King Edward VII Memorial Hospital.

Even more alarming, she says, is the increasing incidence of obesity in youngsters. Around 25 percent of teens were found to be overweight in a 2001 survey, but only seven percent of boys and 13 percent of girls thought they were.

Soaring child obesity is linked to childhood diabetes and Mrs. Jones believes our modern lifestyle is to blame: “It involves a lot of sitting, be it at a desk, in front of the computer, television or playing video games. We are just not getting the physical exercise we need any more.”

To find ways to beat obesity and create a happier, healthier lifestyle for children, The Royal Gazette spoke with Mrs. Jones and dieticians Sara McKittrick and Betsy Baillie.

Mrs. McKittrick made the following suggestions as a starting point, but warns that making a switch to a healthier lifestyle will not work unless the entire family participates.

1. Get your child involved in the lunch-making process.

2. Pack a school lunch everyday and offer healthier substitutes.

3. Read the label - check for sugar, fat and sodium content.

4. Make food about flavour - get your child to smell and pick what spices they want to use when cooking.

5. Make food fun - use sprinkles in moderation, use cookie-cutters to turn your whole grain sandwiches into something fun and the next time you bake muffins, use snazzy muffin cups.

6. Educate to motivate - buy a cooking book together. Look for a child-friendly version with large, colourful photos and easy to follow instructions. Make baking and cooking something you share with your child. Suggested books include Diabetic Cooking for kids <$>by Publications International Ltd (ISBN 0-7853-7112-5).

7. Substitute unhealthy food for healthy food - instead of regular potato chips, try oven-baked chips, rice cakes or corn thins and replace doughnuts with home-made low-fat muffins and cookies. Instead of French fries, try oven fries, or veggies and dipping sauce.

If you enjoy potatoe salad, try making it with sweet potatoes and if you child is addicted to toaster pastries, try whole grain muffins with 100 percent fruit preservative instead.

8. Involve your child in shopping for food as well as preparing meals.

9. Set an example to your child by packing lunches for yourself and eating healthy.

10. Exercise, exercise, exercise!

Mrs. McKittrick points out the importance of adding water to your child’s diet, but warns against flavoured water or “Vitamin Water” which contains sugar: “Always check the labels for sugar content!”

However both Mrs. McKittrick and Mrs. Jones are quick to add that what your child eats when you are not around could be their downfall.

“The mother of an 11-year-old child diagnosed with Type II diabetes told us he never ate dinner, but when we asked him, he admitted to eating three hotdogs before she came home at night. That was his snack,” Mrs. Jones relays, while she adds that another 17-year-old recently diagnosed, admitted to eating bags of chips at night for dinner if her mother was not home to cook.

She points out that children in middle and senior schools are usually more at risk of becoming obese, or developing diabetes because of poor nutrition.

“They have more money to spend on food,” Mrs. Baillie says, adding that it is not unusual to see students after school at a gas station or one of the Island’s fast food restaurants buying junk food as a “snack”.

“When they are in primary school their teacher keeps track of what they eat and school lunches are packed by their parents, but inmiddle school and senior school they are not supervised and have access to cafeterias,” she warns.

Another problem is skipping breakfast and they recommend making time for breakfast and choosing whole grain breads, yoghurt and fruit: “Eat some form of carbohydrate and protein, like a boiled egg.”

All three women agree that exercise is vital, but just as important is getting parents involved and setting examples for their children.

Karen Magnum, co-owner of Magnum Power Force Gym in Hamilton agrees, which is why parents can enrol their children in the gym’s after school programme, Teen Fitness. This programme is offered three times a week and focuses on children who are not involved in sports at school.

“Most of the kids who come are overweight, so we give them an activity which actually gives them a workout,” she says.

This workout, for boys and girls aged 10 to 15, includes kick-boxing and aerobics amongst other activities, and Mrs. Magnum adds that it’s all about having fun.

At the end of the last school year there were about 10 children participating in the programme, but these classes can accommodate up to 20.

She adds that the gym will expand within the next two months to include a “Kids’ Center” for children aged three to 10.

“It will be a play area for children with things they like and they won’t realise they are working out. Parents can also work out while their children play,” she explains.

Mrs. Magnum suggests other family-orientated activities to help children stay fit at home including playing games together as a family like cricket, swimming, jumping on a trampoline, or playing soccer.

“The main thing is for parents to get involved and while walking can be boring, you can make it fun outing by having a family hike along the South Shore or something,” she suggests.

Mrs. Magnum emphasises the importance of helping your child find something they enjoy doing, even dancing, and sticking with it.

“If you are moving your body, you are burning calories and that’s the ultimate goal,” she chuckles.