How can schools prevent a growing disease by Viviana Estevez

estev027 — 2025-06-07 03:27:53 UTC

“According to global figures published by the IDF in 2021, 1.2 million children and adolescents live with type 1 diabetes, and 184,100 new cases are diagnosed each year. Although type 1 diabetes is the most common form of diabetes in children and adolescents worldwide, other forms of diabetes also occur, including type 2 diabetes and monogenic diabetes” (Evans).

estev027 — 2025-06-07 03:28:48 UTC

“Similarly, the American Medical Association has called for the availability of healthful plant-based meals in schools, food assistance programs, and hospitals. They request that hospitals across the US reduce the availability of sugar-sweetened beverages and eliminate processed meats, in addition to including plant-based meals to improve the health of patients, staff, and visitors” (Yvas).

estev027 — 2025-06-07 03:29:05 UTC

“Recent research from the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada reveals that “over 90% of food and beverage product ads viewed by kids and teens online are for unhealthy products, and collectively kids between the ages of 2 and 11 see 25 million food and beverage ads a year on their top 10 favorite websites” (Yvas).

estev027 — 2025-06-07 03:29:28 UTC

“Overweight and obesity in childhood are known to have significant impact on both physical and psychosocial health. For example, hyperlipidaemia, hypertension, insulin resistance and abnormal glucose tolerance occur with increased frequency in obese children and adolescents” (Oude).

estev027 — 2025-06-07 03:29:42 UTC

“The worldwide prevalence of overweight (including obesity) in children and young people aged 5-17 years is approximately 10%, with that of obesity alone being 2-3%. Certain regions and countries have particularly high rates of paediatric obesity: more than 30% of children and adolescents in the Americas, and approximately 20% of those in Europe, are
overweight or obese, with lower prevalence rates being seen in sub Saharan Africa and Asia” (Oude).

estev027 — 2025-06-07 03:29:58 UTC

“Since 1980, the percentage of school-age children who are overweight has more than doubled, and obesity rates among adolescents have more than tripled. It isn’t just obesity that is the problem, either. According to a report published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), weight-related health conditions are becoming more prevalent as well. To give an example, type 2 diabetes was largely unseen in children and young adults as few as ten years ago but now, children and adolescents account for nearly 50% of new cases in some communities”(Barington).

estev027 — 2025-06-07 03:30:11 UTC

“New data shows that physical education instruction time has decreased across the board in U.S. schools. In fact, only 4% of elementary schools, 8% of middle schools, and 2% of high schools offer daily physical education to their students. While many schools offer physical education classes, most of them do not make it a requirement – especially at the high school level” (Barington).

estev027 — 2025-06-07 03:42:32 UTC

“Studies have shown that many school staff members did not have adequate understanding of diabetes and lacked appropriate training in diabetes-related care (26–28). Consequently, diabetes education must be tailored for teachers and other school staff who interact with the student including school nurses, administrators and their support staff, coaches, health aides, and bus drivers” (Diabetes).

estev027 — 2025-06-07 03:51:16 UTC

These three quotes are all statistics that is showing a significant increase of this disease in our children population. Different studies, different regions around the world, but ultimately the same health condition.

estev027 — 2025-06-07 04:04:03 UTC

While obesity and diabetes have a connection within each other, these two quotes help us understand the possible reasons why disease have grown. one quote states that advertising is a mayor cause as this is all our kids are watching online or TV. The other quote explains the lack of exercise out kids are having at school since it's not a requirement and or it's not even offer at their school. Our kids spend half their day at school and the other half of their time on social media or watching TV where they are exposed to the ads.

estev027 — 2025-06-07 04:07:47 UTC

These quotes show connection because it explains some of the improvements the school system should provide to prevent this disease from growing more. The removal of unhealthy food choices and education of staff and students should be a change the schools can easily arrange.

estev027 — 2025-06-07 04:11:59 UTC

Educating is a major improvement and not only to prevent but to also help the students already living with this disease feel in a safer environment and avoid discrimination from peers that are uneducated about this disease. The discrimination and the bullying kids are experiencing will also play a major part on their psychosocial health. For this reason, educating will be a major improvement.