Modification in diet and more activities are keys to combatting the issue
“I’ve been working in healthcare a long time, about 40 years,” explains Tereza Ambroz, “and when I started, we never saw the rates of obesity and diabetes in children that we do today. Kids now are four times more likely to be obese than they were in the 1980s. This is just not normal.”
Ambroz, the supervisor of the Minnesota Department of Health’s (MDH) Diabetes and Health Behavior Unit, is leading the launch of a new pilot program designed to analyze and address childhood obesity specifically for preventing Type 2 diabetes.
Funded through a five-year grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), year one of the MDH program will conduct a landscape analysis, initially focusing on U.S.-born Black American and American Indian children.
Recent studies reveal that the American Indian population has the highest rate of Type 2 diabetes, and the African American community is not far behind. In fact, according to Ambroz, “Cases of diabetes among African American youth have more than doubled over the past two decades.”
“These two communities are where we find the biggest need for intervention right now,” says Julie Dalton, MDH diabetes prevention strategist.
The program will heavily involve members of the community and other experts in the healthcare field in conducting the landscape analysis. A big part of this will be establishing what the program has termed Community Voices Groups, focus groups that will actively engage children and families in the process.
“We cannot do this work in isolation. We must understand where the needs are,” notes Dalton, “to identify service gaps and some of the other challenges families face. And to provide the tools, resources, and opportunities to assist them.”
Based on the landscape analysis and the participation of the Community Voices Groups, the next step is for MDH to select one of six CDC programs that pair evidence-based curriculum with behavior modification.
MDH will then partner with a local clinic to implement and scale the program. It will also utilize professionally trained facilitators to continue engaging parents, caregivers, and the larger community.
Among the critical components of the program will be to help youth develop healthy eating habits, increase exercise, and manage stress. Parents and caregivers will also be empowered to serve as advocates.
Both Ambroz and Dalton emphasize the importance of not placing blame on kids and families when considering the current trends in childhood obesity and the onset of Type 2 diabetes.
“One’s health is closely linked to a variety of circumstances,” explains Ambroz. “This includes genetics, medical issues, but also environmental factors. Such as where people are born, where they live, inequities around resources, and many other social determinants.”
The increased prevalence of both food deserts and food swamps, which denote areas with low access to healthy foods and wider availability of less healthy options, is also a major concern.
As are too much “screen time,” the prevalence of social media, and other things that tend to keep young people away from physical activity and recreation. “This work is so essential,” says Ambroz. “It’s much easier to prevent Type 2 diabetes at an early age. And when we don’t, the complications are potentially devastating. This can be a matter of life and death.”
Encouraging families to eat more fruits and vegetables, replace sugary drinks with water, focus on portion control, reduce the consumption of processed meats, and find other healthy sources of protein are an essential part of this effort.
“It’s important that families have options,” adds Ambroz, “and we want to encourage parents to role model healthy behaviors. One of the ways this can be done is by cooking healthy meals at home from scratch.”
In assessing the needs of children and their families, the program will seek to connect participants to additional services and opportunities, such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and WIC. Housing and other supportive services will also be on MDH’s radar.
“I worked with those who’ve had to deal with diabetes while also living in a car,” reveals Ambroz. “Then, there are single parents working two jobs to make ends meet. So, we must make sure that we help families navigate certain challenges. To ensure they can access all the available tools and resources to meet their needs.”
First Lady Michelle Obama famously spoke to the projections that we are welcoming into the world the first generation of kids that will “live shorter, less healthy lives than their parents.”
However, this does not have to be the case. There is still time to make a difference. “This is very exciting to me,” Dalton affirms. “I’ve primarily worked in treating and managing diabetes in adults. So, this means a lot to all of us.”
Again, the magnitude of this work is evident. According to Dalton, if we do nothing about this issue, current projections are that three in five of today’s children will be overweight or clinically obese by the time they reach adulthood.
“I hope that this program will provide children everything they need to thrive, reach their full potential, and live long, healthy lives free of chronic disease,” says Dalton.
Support Black local news
Help amplify Black voices by donating to the MSR. Your contribution enables critical coverage of issues affecting the community and empowers authentic storytelling.