Local research on risk factors for diabetes has led a UNBC professor todevelop a school education program that will be implemented nationwide.

Dr. Hanh Huynh has partnered with School District #57, the VancouverFoundation, the Canadian Diabetes Association, and Concept Design ofPrince George to develop a selection of screensavers that will beinstalled in elementary school computer labs. The screensavers advocatefor the benefits of eating healthy foods and staying active to reducethe risk of Type 2 Diabetes among children. The program was announcedtoday during a provincial teachers conference.

Since last year, Dr. Huynh has been leading a research project in localelementary schools to establish the prevalence of overweight and obesechildren. It is estimated that 60% of all cases of diabetes can beattributed to weight gain.

“Compared to what is considered to be the national standard, studentsat the elementary schools where we have conducted our research are moreoverweight and obese. We must do something about this,” says Dr. Huynh,a professor in the Northern Medical Program. “Type 2 Diabetes inchildren was never even discussed in medical schools 10-20 years ago.Now, we’re seeing cases in children as young as 4 years old and doctorsnationwide are scrambling to respond. Our screensaver project is amodest step but one that we feel is vitally important. We have to reachchildren and communicate to them the importance of eating healthy foodand being active. It’s the best thing they can do for their futurehealth.”

To download the screensaver, computers must have Quicktime installed.

Click here to Install the screensaver.

Save the zip file to your computer; extract the file, and double click on the extracted file to run the screensaver.

“This is one of the ways that the NMP can give back to the community,”says Dr. Huynh. “This isn’t the kind of work that will be published inan academic journal or lead to a cure, but we’re hoping that it willhave a big impact.”

Contact:
Hanh Huynh, Northern Medical Program professor, UNBC – 250.960.6444
Rob van Adrichem, Director of Media and Public Relations, UNBC – 250.960.5622

 

Media Downloads

Click on the thumbnail below to download a high-resolution photo of Dr. Hanh Huynh.