South Texas Health System Partnering with Prominence Health for Diabetes Symposium

The rate of children diagnosed with diabetes is on the rise across the United States, per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, with an estimated 352,000 children and adolescents having either type 1 or type 2 diabetes.

 

Often referred to as juvenile diabetes, type 1 diabetes, which can’t be prevented, is commonly diagnosed in children when the pancreas is unable to produce enough insulin to effectively process blood sugar levels.

 

Meanwhile, type 2 diabetes, which used to be called adult-onset diabetes, develops slowly over time and happens when the body isn’t using insulin properly and cells aren’t taking in glucose, leaving it to accumulate in the bloodstream.

 

Unlike type 1 diabetes, type 2 diabetes can be prevented. Unfortunately, the chronic condition, which used to start almost always in middle and late adulthood, is increasingly being diagnosed in younger individuals due to rising rates of obesity and inactivity. Recently, the rate of type 2 diabetes in younger populations increased by 4.8%, per the National Institutes of Health.

 

To help educate children on the dangers of diabetes and empower them to lead a healthy lifestyle to prevent or delay the onset of the chronic condition, South Texas Health System is partnering with Prominence Health to host their annual Prevent, Treat & Beat Diabetes Symposium for Kids, which will be attended by 100 elementary school children from Mission CISD.

 

 

“Diabetes has reached epidemic proportions in the Ro Grande Valley, affecting about 42% of the population across the four-county region, according to recent studies. Due to physical inactivity and the growing obesity rate among today’s youth, it’s now beginning to impact our children’s lives,” says Tom Castañeda, System Director of Marketing and Public Relations, STHS. “This symposium is part of proactive measures that STHS is taking to get kids to understand the dangers of diabetes and take the necessary steps to prevent or delay the onset of the disease to avoid serious health complications later in life.”

 

Taking place on Friday, March 28, from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at the South Texas Nursing & Allied Health Campus (Bldg. B), the free symposium will feature kid-centric diabetes educational seminars led by local health professionals, exercise demonstrations led by the STHS Rehabilitation Services team specifically geared toward children, healthy eating presentations led by the STHS McAllen Dietary Department and STHS Clinics, mental health talks and activities led by STHS Children’s and New Dawn Counseling Services and more.

 

“By promoting healthy living through this symposium, we’re empowering kids to make informed choices about diet and physical activity that will go a long way in preventing diabetes in children, particularly type 2 diabetes,” says Castañeda. “But that’s not all… The kids who attend this symposium can, in turn, actively contribute to their parents’ well-being by encouraging them to lead healthier lifestyles.”

 

Following the conference for children, STHS and Prominence Health Plan will host a similar Prevent, Treat & Beat Symposium for adults on Saturday, March 29, from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at the South Texas College Nursing & Allied Health Campus. For more information on the event, which free and open to the public, visit sthseducation.com.