Healthy fun and games for youngsters

FALLBROOK — AVID teens from Fallbrook Union High School have volunteered to tackle the exercise component of Type 2 diabetes prevention by developing games and activities to reach out to local youngsters to increase their physical wellbeing. They have named their group the Diabetes Exercise Task Force. Now in its second year, this three-year project has been generously funded by the Fallbrook Village Rotary, Fallbrook Healthcare District, many representatives of the healthcare community and others who have come together voluntarily to support this effort.

They are increasing community awareness of Type 2 diabetes locally through free annual health fairs, periodic clinic screenings and in-home public health nurse visits. Experts say awareness is the building block to prevention and control, and this project was created to identify, prevent and control Type 2 diabetes in our community’s children.

Type 2 diabetes, once considered an adult disease, is now found in children as young as two! The Center for Disease Control reports that one out of every three children born in the year 2000 will be diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes. If left untreated, Type 2 can lead to heart disease, stroke, blindness, amputation and kidney disease.

From state-mandated BMI screenings at the fifth-grade level at Live Oak and La Paloma Elementary Schools, the project has identified children who are at risk for developing Type 2 diabetes. The findings exceed the risk rate found in the general California population.

The teen-driver Diabetes Exercise Task Force held their first session February 9 at the First Church of Religious Science’s Hilltop Center, which was graciously offered to the teens’ project. The games and activities will take place twice weekly — Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. at 331 E. Elder Street. Everyone is welcome!

Questions? Call Chairperson Pat Sica at (760) 728-3039.