Federal

NIH Study of Children Aimed at Preventing Juvenile Diabetes

By Christina A. Samuels — November 06, 2006 | Corrected: February 22, 2019 1 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

Corrected: An earlier version of this story misstated the intent of a study to be conducted by the National Institutes of Health. The study will examine ways to combat Type 2 diabetes in youths.

Children across the country are rolling up their sleeves for blood tests as a part of a major new study in juvenile-diabetes prevention.

The Healthy Study, sponsored by the National Institutes of Health, in Bethesda, Md., will try to determine whether changes in school food and physical education classes can ward off Type 2 diabetes, an increasingly common disease in children. Type 2 diabetes, the most common form of the disease, is caused by a buildup of glucose in the blood. High blood-glucose levels can eventually have serious health effects, such as heart, kidney, or nerve damage.

About 5,000 6th graders in 42 middle schools will participate in the study, which will be completed in 2009. Students in the program group will receive healthier food choices in the school cafeteria and from school vending machines; longer, more intense physical education classes; and lessons that promote long-term healthy behaviors. Children will be monitored in California, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, and Texas.

Previous studies have attempted to address childhood obesity using the same methods. Few have shown positive results in affecting children’s weight. But juvenile diabetes, though often found in obese children, is a different disorder and may be influenced by different factors, said Gary D. Foster, the study’s chairman and the director of the Center for Obesity Research and Education at Temple University in Philadelphia.

For example, though exercise alone does not have a strong effect on weight without diet changes, “it does have an effect on insulin levels,” Mr. Foster said.

Related Tags:

A version of this article appeared in the November 08, 2006 edition of Education Week

Events

Jobs Virtual Career Fair for Teachers and K-12 Staff
Find teaching jobs and other jobs in K-12 education at the EdWeek Top School Jobs virtual career fair.
Ed-Tech Policy Webinar Artificial Intelligence in Practice: Building a Roadmap for AI Use in Schools
AI in education: game-changer or classroom chaos? Join our webinar & learn how to navigate this evolving tech responsibly.
Education Webinar Developing and Executing Impactful Research Campaigns to Fuel Your Ed Marketing Strategy 
Develop impactful research campaigns to fuel your marketing. Join the EdWeek Research Center for a webinar with actionable take-aways for companies who sell to K-12 districts.

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

Federal Opinion Reading Scores Have Plunged Since the Pandemic. What This Senator Wants to Do About That
How can the nation support literacy efforts? The ranking Republican on the Senate education committee wants to hear from educators.
6 min read
Image shows a multi-tailed arrow hitting the bullseye of a target.
DigitalVision Vectors/Getty
Federal Biden Calls for Teacher Pay Raises, Expanded Pre-K in State of the Union
President Joe Biden highlighted a number of his education priorities in a high-stakes speech as he seeks a second term.
5 min read
President Joe Biden delivers the State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress at the Capitol on March 7, 2024, in Washington.
President Joe Biden delivers the State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress at the Capitol on March 7, 2024, in Washington.
Shawn Thew/Pool via AP
Federal Low-Performing Schools Are Left to Languish by Districts and States, Watchdog Finds
Fewer than half of district plans for improving struggling schools meet bare minimum requirements.
11 min read
A group of silhouettes looks across a grid with a public school on the other side.
Vanessa Solis/Education Week via Canva
Federal Biden Admin. Says New K-12 Agenda Tackles Absenteeism, Tutoring, Extended Learning
The White House unveiled a set of K-12 priorities at the start of an election year.
4 min read
U.S. Education Secretary Miguel Cardona participates in a roundtable discussion with students from Dartmouth College on Jan. 10, 2024, on the school's campus, in Hanover, N.H.
U.S. Education Secretary Miguel Cardona participates in a roundtable discussion with students from Dartmouth College on Jan. 10, 2024, on the school's campus, in Hanover, N.H.
Steven Senne/AP