Today Diabetes Week came to a close with an afternoon fair that included talk, presentations and exhibitions but that does not mean the work for the Belize Diabetes Association is over for this year. In fact, it has just started. In keeping with this year’s theme, ‘Emphasizing children and adolescents,’ the BDA is on a mission to protect the country’s children from this silent killer. 7NEWS caught up with BDA’s President Anthony Castillo who told us what will be their next plan of action.
Anthony Castillo, President – BDA
“The Belize Diabetes Association and the Ministry of Health has a plan to meet. We plan to meet to discuss the issue of how we will approach the schools to alter their diet plan, what they sell at their cafeteria at the different schools.”
Jacqueline Godwin,
That must be a concern for the BDA.
Anthony Castillo,
“It is a concern for the BDA and at recent forums that we have attended, we do random blood sugar testing and most of these tests have shown where a number of our children and young adults are coming up with high level of blood sugar. So we are sure that diabetes is probably creeping up on our children.”
Jacqueline Godwin,
Do you suspect this is as a result of poor eating habits?
Anthony Castillo,
“That would be one of the factors. Eating habits is definitely a factor in acquiring diabetes.”
The Belize Diabetes Association also has plans to establish a youth group. It is estimated that twenty thousand Belizeans are diabetics but that number can be even higher. The only way you can know for sure if you have the condition is by seeing your doctor and getting tested.
