The Tribune

By JEFFARAH GIBSON

Tribune Features Writer

jgibson@tribunemedia.net

CHILDREN will be the focus of the upcoming ACE Diabetes Health & Wellness expo, which will aim to educate both kids and adults on prevention and management of diabetes.

The expo will be held on November 14 at the New Providence Community Centre and will feature free health screenings, fitness demonstrations, cooking demonstrations, a special “Ask The Expert” segment and more.

Dr Graham Cates, founder of ACE Diabetes, told Tribune Health that the increasing prevalence of type 2 diabetes in children calls for greater awareness and more education to help prevent and manage the disease.

Type 2 diabetes is a chronic condition that affects the way the body metabolises sugar (glucose). With type 2 diabetes, the body either resists the effects of insulin — a hormone that regulates the movement of sugar into the cells — or doesn’t produce enough insulin to maintain a normal glucose level.

“Globally the prevalence of a type 2 diabetes in children is increasing. We are seeing more and more children with type 2 diabetes in The Bahamas,” Dr Cates said.

“Risk factors for the development of type 2 diabetes include obesity and poor nutrition. We have become a country with a fast food restaurant on every corner which means it is easily accessible and affordable. On top of that, most Bahamian families have little to no physical activity, Dr Cates said.

Another risk factor for childhood diabetes is having an obese mother. Currently in The Bahamas, 79 per cent of adults that are overweight or obese, he said.

“Diabetes is a serious matter and we must as Bahamians all must help to reduce the burden of diabetes,” he told Tribune Health.

ACE Diabetes will also be hosting the third annual Healthcare Diabetes Symposium on November 13 for healthcare professionals at the New Providence Community Centre on Blake Road. The event starts promptly at 6.30pm and includes dinner and drinks.

The theme for the seminar this year is “Mission Possible: Diabetes Down” and it will feature two presentations by Dr Charles Diggiss, Chief Medical Officer of Doctors Hospital and CEO of MedNet Group of Companies, along with Janine Sanchez, an associate professor at University of Miami Miller School of Medicine.

Dr Diggiss will be speaking on the topic “Bariatric Surgery and Diabetes”. Specifically, he will be focusing on the question, “Why should I have a gastric restrictive procedure to control my diabetes and reverse my obesity?”

Dr Sanchez’s presentation will include case studies and will touch on many points including how to diagnose diabetes in teenagers, basic insulin management, screening tests and risks of poor control, treatment, and available technology. Her objective is to provide the audience with the ability to distinguish between type 1 and type 2 diabetes in teenagers; understand basic management of type 1 and type 2 diabetes in teenagers and; understand how to avoid risks of poorly controlled diabetes in teenagers.