"Central Consolidated School District deserves a pat on the back for its recent effort to target diabetes among American Indian children. With help from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the district will implement a curriculum aimed at decreasing the risk for the disease among nearly 900 CCSD children at risk.

The program includes picture books that will be available to students in grades four and five. The storyline features an American Indian boy who learns about his ancestors' healthy habits. CCSD spokeswoman Rachel Ciccarone says the books will encourage students to return to traditional ways of native living that could help decrease risk factors.

This is an important step for an American Indian population that is at a higher risk than many other ethnic groups. It's also a crucial time for children in general to fight this disease.

According to the CDC, as much as 15 percent of children are overweight, nearly double the number from a decade ago. And about 75 percent of all newly diagnosed cases of Type 1 diabetes (an acute onset, with children and adolescents usually able to pinpoint when symptoms began) occur in individuals younger than 18 years. But studies have shown the percentage of children with newly diagnosed diabetes classified as Type 2 has increased from less than 5 percent before 1994 to 30 to 50 percent in subsequent years."

Get the Story:
Editorial: CCSD deserves kudos for diabetes program (The Farmington Daily Times 8/4)

Earlier Story:
CCSD launches diabetes program: Cirriculum aims at improving health of young students (The Farmington Daily Times 7/29)