Native Students Offered Incentive To Be Active

Native Students Offered Incentive To Be Active

Friday, May 01, 2009 at 13:12

 

 

Today is National Aboriginal Diabetes Awareness Day — and the Assembly of First Nations is using the occasion to call on teachers for help in organizing a fitness challenge aimed at First Nations students.

 

The AFN says the goal of the fitness challenge is to raise awareness about the positive relationship between diabetes and healthy living.

 

AFN Regional Chief Angus Toulouse says health officials are seeing very young children diagnosed with this disease in First Nations communities.

 

The average age of diagnosis is 11 years of age, according to the First Nation’s Regional Longitudinal Health Survey.

 

The fitness challenge will start on October 14, and run for one month, wrapping up on November 14th — World Diabetes Day.

 

Students are encouraged to participate in teams and to engage in 30 minutes of physical activity each day, in ten minute intervals.

 

Top performers and top teams will have their names entered into a draw, and winners will be announced in December.

 

Diabetes is three to five times more common among First Nations than the general population.