Half of Texas children born after the year 2000 will develop diabetes unless the state changes its prevention strategies, said Department of State Health Services Commissioner Dr. Eduardo Sanchez in his keynote speech at the Diabetes Summit on Friday.
"This could be the first generation of Texans whose life expectancy is shorter than their parents," said Sanchez. "It's our fault."
In his speech at the summit sponsored by the American Diabetes Association, Sanchez focused on the state's growing numbers of obese and diabetic people, especially children, and blamed sedentary habits and sleep deprivation. He illustrated an alarming picture of the next generation of Texans, many of whom have already been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes - caused mainly by obesity and considered largely preventable - as children.
About 1.3 million Texans have been diagnosed with diabetes and a third of Texans have diabetes but don't know it, Sanchez said. Predictions show that 33 percent of males and 40 percent of females born after 2000 will develop diabetes, he said.
Sanchez also said a racial disparity exists: One-third of white children born today will develop diabetes, while two out of five blacks and half of Hispanics will.
"There are some amongst us who believe obesity is a personal choice," said Sanchez. "While I won't disagree with you when it comes to adults - there's absolutely a personal component to it - I think you have to agree we can only blame ourselves for the fact that children in this country are the fattest children in the world."
He called for a greater investment in public health services to help prevent obesity, adding that, historically, the average life expectancy has been affected more by public health projects instead of direct medical treatment.
Dr. Adolfo Valadez, medical director for the Travis County Health and Human Services Department and summit co-chair, said diagnoses of diabetes in Travis County have increased almost 40 percent since 1998. About 7 percent of Travis county residents have diabetes, Valadez said.
Valadez said Travis County Health and Human Services is attempting to prevent diabetes and obesity through its Steps to Healthier Austin program, founded in 2003, which uses federal funding to educate children and adults at schools, churches and in the workplace. The program's health-care providers also try to provide those at risk with the appropriate medical services.
"We've created community-wide partnerships with multiple organizations to address diabetes at multiple levels," said Valadez. "What we're doing is increasing awareness about diabetes, screening for diabetes and improving health-care systems so patients with diabetes get better care."
Lisa Butterworth, a student health services manager for Austin Independent School District, has been helping to implement the Steps program at Sanchez and Walnut Creek elementary schools. Butterworth said of the almost 900 kindergarten, first-, third- and fifth-grade students screened for obesity, 40 percent were considered at-risk or were overweight.
Step's case management services connected the children's families with healthy eating classes and YMCA activity. The students' progress will be measured in May.
Kellee Flemmons, a supervising nurse for three Round Rock Independent School District elementary schools, attended the summit and agreed with Sanchez's diagnosis of children's lack of physical activity.
Earlier in the semester, Flemmons checked 600 fifth- and third-graders at three Round Rock schools for acanthosis, a black skin pigmentation caused by Type 2 diabetes and obesity. She said 30 students were referred to physicians.
Flemmons said children don't have adequate physical education in school or enough safe places to play at home.
"I just think it's our society today," Flemmons said. "The media scares you. They put out all the news about kids getting swiped out of their front yards, and it makes you very conscious."
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