Lily D

Girl Reporter

Did you know that 9.3% (29 million people) of Americans have diabetes?The American Diabetes Association said this information. That means that 1 out of 11 Americans have diabetes. This is why the American Diabetes Association and The Boys & Girls Club came together to create Camp Power Up. This camp was made to teach kids and their families about diabetes and how to eat healthier.

At these camps, members of the American Diabetes Association come from all over the country to teach kids and their families for two days. Day one is all about the  kids only but day two encourages the entire family to participate- after all, living a healthy lifestyle is family affair. This year, one of the staff came all the way from Boston, Massachusetts! So, you can tell that they care deeply about this camp.

Some activities that we did at this camp are dodgeball, basketball, yoga, and obstacle courses. Camp Power Up isn’t only about exercising, they also encourage kids to find what makes them happy, like playing the piano and arts and crafts. These camps also have class time where you go into a room and they teach you important things such as the five food groups, the hunger scale, and the different types of fats. The five food groups consist of vegetables, fruits, protein, dairy, and grains. The hunger scale goes one through five, one being extremely hungry, two being hungry, three being neutral, four being full, and five being sick. After you eat you want to be at a three on the hunger scale. The three types of fats are unsaturated fat, saturated fats and trans fats.Unsaturated fats are heart healthy like fish and avocados. Saturated fats are okay to have sometimes which includes of red meat and cheese. Trans fats are desserts and things we should only have once in awhile such as cookies and pies.

Jocelynn, one of the participants, said “I wanted to come to this camp to be active and healthy. Also, I want to be a role model for my little sister.” When I asked what does living a healthy life mean to you, Miguel, another participant answered with,“Eating more protein and drinking more water is important to living a healthy life as well as getting more exercise.” When the participants were asked if they would recommend Camp Power Up to friends and family all said yes, and I would have to agree. It is very beneficial in the long term because everyone is most likely doing something unhealthy without even knowing they are.

As you can see diabetes prevention is a very important to talk and learn about.These camps get you up and moving, take place all over the country, and are extremely fun. So, if I  were you I’d try to get  to one of the next Camp Power Up’s.