California doctor says childhood diabetes reaching “epidemic” levels

• State officials, doctors, parents and children are all searching for the answer to childhood obesity.
• He primarily deals with adults but said he's seen an incredible increase in adolescent diabetes resulting from obesity.
• Cory Williams, spokesman for the association, said obesity is the leading modifiable risk factor for Type II diabetes, affecting thousands of children in Michigan each year.
• "Basically, that means it's the leading thing in your life that can help you prevent getting diabetes - you have the power to stop it," he said.
• "What the ADA suggests for kids is increasing physical activity and eating more healthy foods.
• A new study conducted by the American Diabetes Association shows one of four obese children already carries symptoms of Type II diabetes and 60 percent have one risk factor for heart disease.
• Type II, formerly known as adult-onset diabetes, the most common form of diabetes, occurs when the body either does not produce enough insulin or the cells ignore the insulin.
• In April 2004, Patterson launched the Count Your Steps campaign, issuing pedometers to 28,000 students in 1,100 Oakland County schools.
• Last year, the program was well-received and changed many kids' lives for the better," Patterson said.
• State Surgeon General Dr. Kimberlydawn Wisdom agrees with Patterson that there is hope, but she said major changes are needed before the numbers of obese children will decline.
• "Families are eating out a lot more, and relying on others - such as the schools - to provide nutritious meals for their children.
• "Then the kids are eating all of these high-sugar, high-fat-content vending machine snacks and taking part in less physical activities at the schools, as well.
• Local food programs at many Oakland County schools are responding to the outcry for more healthful snacks and lunches.
• "We always did that, but we're trying to make the healthier foods more visible.