The pilot study, dubbed "STAND UP!" or Schools Tackle Activity Nutrition and Diabetes Prevention, is part of a larger multiyear research initiative called "Studies to Treat Or Prevent Pediatric Type 2 Diabetes, or STOPP-T2D, sponsored by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), a member of the National Institutes of Health.

Type 2 diabetes, once unheard of among children, is increasing at an alarming rate. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1 in 3 Americans born in 2000 will develop type 2 diabetes in their lifetime. In response to this disturbing trend, the NIDDK developed STAND UP!

Through STAND UP!, researchers aim to reach a large number of at-risk youth in their schools where they can monitor how foods they eat and the amount of exercise they get can help them feel better and help prevent three of the key risk factors for type 2 diabetes: unhealthy diet, overweight and physical inactivity. The results of this multi-center study will be used to improve the program before expanding it to middle schools across the country.

"The goal of STAND UP! is to develop a population-based intervention to prevent or decrease the development of risk factors for type 2 diabetes in adolescents, specifically targeting sixth-grade students. Children at this age are typically in the midst of puberty, which causes changes that increase insulin resistance, a problem with type 2 diabetes, along with altering body composition and increasing body fat. Also, some reduce their physical activity level -- all these factors affect the risk of developing type 2 diabetes," said Linn Goldb
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Contact: Tamara Hargens
hargenst@ohsu.edu
503 494-8231
Oregon Health & Science University
12-Oct-2004