Young children tipping the scales at 300 pounds are risking death from diabetes in their early adult years, a leading nurse has warned.

Between 20 and 25 children aged ten to 20 have been diagnosed with Type Two diabetes as a result of too much junk food and not enough exercise, according to Bermuda's Diabetes Centre Coordinator Debbie Jones.

Mrs. Jones fears the true number of sufferers could be much higher because many youngsters are likely to be living with the condition without realising.

She said one Bermudian who had Type Two diabetes at 14 died in his 20s from complications brought on by the illness some years ago.

The nurse — who says she treats ten- to 12-year-old patients weighing 300 pounds, about four times their ideal weight — warned that unless lifestyle attitudes change more youngsters risk the same fate.

It comes after Bermuda's first survey of children's health revealed one in three children aged five to ten is obese or overweight.

Speaking about young diabetes patients, Mrs. Jones told The Royal Gazette: "They are big kids with a big family history. They eat junk food all the time, and that's all the parents really know. Nobody wants to do without. They want soda, they like french fries. It tastes good, smells good.

"We started recognising there was a problem with diabetes and children 20 years ago. We have seen probably 20 to 25 children, but we know there's a lot more than that. They don't want to come here; they don't want to go to the diabetes centre.

"There was one who ended up dying at 26 a few years ago. He had diabetes at 14. It was a tragic story."

Mrs. Jones said serious complications can surface after somebody has had Type Two diabetes for ten to 15 years. The pancreas can wear out because it has been under too much pressure to produce insulin, and the patient's blood sugar level will then rise. The sufferer is then put on insulin, which some are unable to handle.

"When you are only 22 years old it's kind of a freaky thing," she said.

Calling for youngsters and their families to learn from the young man who died, she said: "The complications started and eventually he died. That kind of threat means nothing to these kids. If it did, we could threaten about riding the bike too fast, or taking drugs, or smoking.

"You can't say to them: 'You are going to have a heart attack.' That means nothing to a 12- or 14-year-old. They are eating junk food and so are all their friends. They don't want to start doing things that their friends aren't doing.

"The whole family has to be involved. Everybody has got to decide they are going to make some changes. Everybody has got to get active and it's got to be done in a fun and exciting way."

She added: "If nothing is done, the human race is going to self destruct."

Mrs. Jones applauded Government's Healthy Weight Action Plan, launched last month, which proposes cutting tax on healthy food and increasing it on junk food among a string of health measures.

"It's fantastic that the Government is really committed," she said. "Now we have a very energetic Health Minister (Michael Scott) who is committed to making changes.

"It's got to be a whole community effort. It's good to see there's so much community effort now. Maybe things will change."

She said she would also like to see the school day extended to 5 p.m., ensuring exercise can be made compulsory for all children.

"They can't have enough physical activities in their day if it finishes at three," she said. "Finishing at five is one way I can see of fitting it in and not disturbing the academic side of things."

When the obesity figures were revealed earlier this month, Bermuda's Health Promotion Coordinator Jennifer Attride-Stirling described them as "disastrous" and revealed that talks were ongoing between Government and supermarkets, restaurants, vendors and schools to promote healthier options for people of all ages.

Symptoms of Type Two diabetes include excessive thirst, frequent trips to the toilet to pass urine and weight loss.