Sweet lesson: PMC’s Diabetes Education Center holds annual diabetes camp

Diabetes is on the rise among the youth in southeast Idaho.

Nurses at the Diabetes Education Center said from January until the end of July, ten more kids were diagnosed with type-1 diabetes.

Today, 35 kids living with diabetes gathered together at the Idaho State University quadrangle to learn more about the disease.

The PMC’s Diabetes Education Center held its annual diabetes camp in order to help educate both kids across southeast Idaho and parents about how to live healthy lifestyles while facing the disease.

“Type-1 diabetes is increasing and I think it is really important that we do have healthy families,” PMC nurse Nancy Bickley said. “As parents, we really do need to have healthy kids, make sure we are not feeding our kids pop, we are not feeding them fruit juice, and that we raise a healthy family.”

Bickley said there are dangers in mishandling a situation with someone who could be diabetic, especially when it comes to administering insulin.

“I think you need to be trained. Of course moms and dads do the insulin at home, but they have the skills behind them, whereas someone who just walks in doesn’t have the skill as to why they are giving it.”

Bickley said she and her colleagues are still trying to figure-out why the number of kids diagnosed with diabetes is on the rise. Whether or not it is related to the number of kids who come forward or even if it is due to a change in eating habits among the youth, she said this is still an issue everyone must be more aware of.

Bickley also said to avoid developing type-2 diabetes, people should cut-out the intake of simple sugars normally found in soft drinks and fruit juices. She also said people need to start eating more complex carbohydrates such as whole wheat and other grains.

Nonetheless, she said people can still eat what they want, just as long as it is all in moderation.