Diabetes Association week takes the sugar out of your diet

joyce flowers

It is one of the leading causes of death in the world and Belize is no exception. This week the Belize Diabetes Association is taking the opportunity to sensitize the public on how to prevent the disease.  And because more and more, young people are being affected—primarily with type one diabetes—the Association is focusing its efforts on that age group.  Program Organizer of the Association, Joyce Flowers, who is a diabetic herself, says that diet and exercise are key in avoiding the disease and so the association is taking the message to primary schools.

Joyce Flowers, Programme Organizer, Belize Diabetes Assn.

“Type one is because the pancreas is not producing any insulin at all so those person need to be on insulin for the rest of their lives.”

Marion Ali

“So you are going around and doing free testing this week?”

Joyce Flowers

“Testing as well as educational sessions with them because we want them to understand what is diabetes, its complications and how it affects the entire body. And so we do the talk before we do the testing so that the children understand why we are doing it and what could happen to them if they become diabetic. More and more when we go into the schools we find children with high glucose level. We try to take the address of the parents and we try to speak with the parents and encourage them to get some assistance for the child.”

Marion Ali

“What would you say might be the cause or causes of this to be the case>”

Joyce Flowers

“Type one diabetes, the children, they were born with it, their pancreas is not producing insulin.  I have been living with diabetes for ten years now but I try my best to educate myself and do the right thing like exercise and eat the proper food and the right portion because that is one of the things that we need to do—the portion size that we eat. It is difficult living with diabetes: one you have to try and get your family members and friends involved because you do need that support. You have family members that would come home with all the food that you are not suppose to eat. So as diabetics, we have to learn how to discipline ourselves. Even if we are offered the food, we need to say no and we need to know what we can eat.

We need to change our lifestyle, be conscious of our nutrition, exercise and if you got diabetes, you need to take your medication as the doctor prescribes.”

World Diabetes Day will be observed on November fourteenth.