We’re talkin’ about some brand-new researchers on the horizon here. They actually cause their families and loved ones to start changing their lifestyles in order to prevent Type II diabetes. So we are so proud of them!

The students that I interviewed were enthusiastic about taking charge of their health… The students were able to record what they ate for 4 days and to categorize their foods as whole and processed and calculated a percentage of each. They were able to clearly explain this to me and remembered what percent they ate. They were also able to define what is a whole and what is a processed food and to understand that eating more whole foods will improve their health. I asked the students if they knew what a whole or processed food was before the project and they said “a little” but that before they would just eat without thinking about it.

At first I thought it was just about a regular old lady getting sick, it used to be just old people back in the day…but now I know a kid in my class has diabetes and I became more interested… So I know my grandma, my grannie, and my auntie got it and I thought to myself if all these people in my family have diabetes it can’t be me.

So now I started exercising more…like we have a break, I used to play a game until the school started again, but now I go outside, even if it’s snowing. I still eat a little bit, but not like I used to. Every time I get some money I eat junk food, but now I cut it down.

My kids think they are empowered right now because Ms. Ruby [the cafeteria supervisor] opened the door for them to write letters [to be submitted to the district administration] to get change… They are also talking more about their choices…. I feel like more of [my students] are eating their fruit that comes to our classroom in little bags each day.