Empower Program
The Empower Program at El Paso Children’s Hospital is for children who are at risk for developing or have been diagnosed with type2 diabetes.
What is the Empower Program?
The Empower Program at El Paso Children’s Hospital was developed with a team approach, as a resource for children that are overweight/obese at risk for developing prediabetes or type 2 diabetes, or have been diagnosed with prediabetes or type 2 diabetes and their families to receive nutrition education with follow up appointments to monitor progress.
Every child and teenager in the Empower Program receives a personalized plan to follow, including specific goals they can work to achieve. Goals might include changing their diet or increasing their physical activity. The plan is also shared with your child’s primary care doctor so he or she can better monitor and manage your child’s health. In some cases, adolescents and their families may also see psychologists who can help them find ways to change their behaviors, overcome barriers and get the whole family involved in getting healthier.
If a child or teen has these factors and is overweight or obese, they are particularly at risk for developing prediabetes. While symptoms of prediabetes may be difficult to detect, there are some changes to look for that can signal insulin resistance, low energy, increased waist size, weight loss, excess urination or excess thirst.
Making positive lifestyle changes for you and your family takes planning and commitment, but the benefits of decreasing the risk of prediabetes definitely outweigh any inconvenience.
Funded by the PdNHF
The Empower Program at El Paso Children’s Hospital is for children who are at risk for developing or have been diagnosed with type2 diabetes.
Looking For Educational Cooking Classes?
El Paso Children’s Hospital has a variety of cooking classes and recipes available at any time.
Frequently Asked Quetions
What is Type 2 diabetes?
In type 2 diabetes, your child’s body can’t turn the food they eat into energy
This causes high blood sugar levels
What is pre-diabetes?
Your child’s body is showing signs that they may develop type 2 diabetes soon, including high blood sugar levels, high lipid (fat) levels in the blood and excess weight.
What are the risk factors for children/teens developing Type 2 diabetes?
- A family history of type 2 diabetes
- Hispanic/Latino ethnicity (1 out of every 2 are affected by diabetes in their lifetime)
- Weighing too much
- Not being active
What are the symptoms of Type 2 diabetes in children/teens?
- Going to the bathroom a lot
- Weight loss
- Excessive thirst
- Weakness and feeling tired
- Frequent bladder infections
- Dark patches of skin, usually on back of neck or armpits
How will my child’s doctor know if they are developing diabetes or already have diabetes?
In addition to checking for the symptoms listed above, your doctor will also check:
- Level of sugar in their blood and urine
- Level of lipids (fat) in their blood
Why should I worry about my child getting diabetes?
Blood sugar levels that stay high all the time can cause serious problems such as
- Feeling tired, sick and thirsty
- Having no energy to play and have fun
- Going to the bathroom a lot, even at night, interrupting sleep
- Becoming sick more often
- Infections that are hard to heal
As your child gets older, high blood sugar levels can cause these serious complications
- Damage to eyes, kidneys and nerves.
- Damage to the heart and circulation, increasing the chance for heart attack and stroke.
Will my child’s type 2 diabetes go away?
There is no cure, but there are ways to live healthy with type 2 diabetes.
How can I help my child be healthy and manage their diabetes?
Making positive lifestyle changes for your child and your family can have a profound effect on your child’s ability to live a healthy life, manage their diabetes and potentially prevent diabetes complications. These positive lifestyle changes include:
- Making healthy food choices
- Exercising and being active every day
- Taking diabetes medications
Checking blood glucose levels
Contact EPCH Today
The Empower Program is located inside El Paso Children’s Hospital Rehabilitative Services at 1223 North Lee Trevino Drive in El Paso, TX. In addition to appointments, we’re happy to answer non-emergency questions from parents or guardians who are concerned their child might have diabetes or pre-diabetes.
For more information, please call (915)242-8493 Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., or send an email to [email protected] for non-emergency questions or to set up an appointment.
El Paso Children’s Hospital Multispecialty Center
1223 N Lee Trevino Drive
El Paso, TX 79907
Phone: 915-242-8493
Fax: 915-242-8397
Email: [email protected]
