MUNCIE, Ind. - Children who spend more time on the playground and eat healthier foods can reduce their chances of being diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes, says a Ball State University health educator.

"Immediate changes are needed in the dietary and exercise habits of young children to alleviate a national health problem," said Denise Amschler, physiology and health science professor.

"We also must begin identifying children at risk in order to evaluate and test them," she said. "Reversing this trend will require a great deal of coordination by those who have an impact on the lives of children."

Amschler is working with future school health educators and professionals in the field to raise awareness about Type 2 diabetes, which occurs when the cells in the body become resistant to insulin, and/or the body does not produce enough insulin.

Diabetes ranks as America's sixth-leading cause of death and affects more than 16 million people, or about 6 percent of the population. During the past 10 years, up to 45 percent of children newly diagnosed with diabetes develop the Type 2 form.

Health experts attribute America's problem with obesity for contributing to the onset of Type 2 diabetes since most children with the disease are significantly overweight.
A recent report by the U.S. Department of Health found the percentage of overweight children ages 6-17 has doubled since the 1960s with the largest increase taking place since 1980s. About 11 percent of children of all ages are clinically overweight and another 14 percent are at risk.

"Until the last few years, we didn't see many children with Type 2," Amschler said. "Diabetes-related health problems were once limited to people past 60. Now, we could see diabetes-related heart disease, blindness or amputation in people no older than 30."

Schools can help contain the disease by promoting healthy eating and reversing recent cutbacks in physical education programs, she said.

"Children today have too little exercise and recess," Amschler said. "I hear stories from teachers that as little as 15 minutes a day or less is set aside for physical education. That is hurting our children.

"With the school day being crammed with educational activities, recess and P.E. classes have fallen to the wayside," she said. "They are not a high priority. But, if schools look at the overall well being of a child, we may be able to change that."

(NOTE TO EDITORS: For more information, contact Amschler at damschle@bsu.edu or (765) 285-8351.)