There are many children who will suffer from diabetes regardless of their activity level or eating habits (about one in 500), but this article is for all the kids who have or who are at risk for Type 2 diabetes - the kind that preys on the obese and inactive.

In 1976, seven percent of children ages 6 to 11 were obese. In 2000, 15.3 percent of children were obese, according to the American Obesity Association. Think about your own childhood. Was soda as readily available? Was fast food a necessity between soccer practice and dance lessons? Did your mother plop you down in front of the television with glorified gummy bears called "fruit snacks" or was television not an option?

The hardest thing about changing our choices as parents is finding the energy to change them. I overheard a couple of clients talking about all the things their mothers did for them when they were young. My clients laughed and said, "Yeah, we're just not the women our mothers were."

Type 2 Diabetes and its Scary Complications If your child has poor eating habits and does not exercise, he/she may be set up to contract Type 2 diabetes. The complications include: • Heart disease and stroke • High blood pressure • Blindness • Kidney disease • Nervous system disease • Amputations • Dental disease • Complications during pregnancy • Coma Source: The American Diabetes Association

Very true. Many of us have an added financial responsibility that our mothers didn't have. That responsibility leaves us dead on our feet at the end of the day with no energy left for the most important people in our lives.

So the first goal in better health for our kids is to find the energy to make changes. Probably a more reasonable goal would be to do some very serious planning on the weekends in order to accommodate a busy schedule. Make meals ahead that are healthy, including protein, vegetables and starch.

We also need to get our children moving. Learn to boogie board or surf with your child. Build lots of sandcastles. My son loved to take shovels to the beach when he was younger. The kids would dig for an hour straight.

The great news is that exercise is a powerful weapon against high blood glucose levels. When you exercise, your blood glucose can stay lower for hours, for even a day or more, after you exercise. Being active makes the body work harder. When your body works harder, it needs more energy. To get that energy, your body starts using more of the glucose in your blood, and your blood glucose goes down. The more active you are, the more glucose your body uses. Exercise is not just for people who are diabetic, it is for those who want to keep their glucose levels healthy.

For your children and for yourself, use exercise as a reward instead of a punishment. Go to the park because homework has been finished. Buy them a new pool toy because they helped you with the dishes. You could even tell your vid-kid that because he just "conquered the dragon" you are going out to celebrate with a rollerblading escapade or a trip to our skate park or aquatic center.

There is also a weight loss issue that needs to be addressed. Is food being used to quiet our kids? Is it being used as a reward? Are we too tired to cook? Are our kids mirroring our own inactivity?

When you are serious about making changes to your child's diet you may want to contact a professional. They can certainly offer you a lot of information and they are a wonderful support system.

Dieting is about losing weight forever. Quick fixes or depriving your child of something she is used to having is a mistake waiting to happen. It is a diet that will initially take the weight off, but she will almost always put more back on than she lost to begin with because the metabolism has been toyed with too rapidly.

We have to think long-term here. Your young child may never contract Type 2 diabetes but your adult child might. Approximately 90 to 95 percent of all diabetes diagnosed in adults is Type 2. You can control and monitor a healthy lifestyle while your child is young. They might complain now but they will be developing habits that they didn't know they developed. They will order salads, not fries. They will go for a run instead of renting an extra movie. Give your child the advantage of good health. When we feel good we can achieve so much more.


Karena Lineback is the author of "OsteoPilates: Reduce Risk, Increase Bone Density, Look and Feel Great," contributing author to "Cancer Wellness" and the president of Pilates Teck, Inc. in Newhall.