Scott Ohashi is a fit, active and healthy teenager who enjoys school, friends and baseball.
But it has not been an easy road for him. At age 12, Ohashi was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes, a surprising revelation given that the disease doesn’t run in his family.
In some cases, diabetes is hereditary. Other times, it can just pop up and strike you, like it did to Ohashi on Aug. 9, 2006.
“It was a shock to me,” said the Auburn Mountainview High School junior. “I didn’t know the consequences of the disease. I was kind of scared, you could say.”
Ohashi now follows a healthy lifestyle, a difficult task when you consider the poor eating habits of fast-growing 16-year-olds.
In the beginning, Ohashi was taking five insulin shots a day. But in four years, he has learned to manage his condition. Assisted by a handy insulin pump, he checks his blood-sugar level 7-10 times daily and receives a shot every three or four days.
Ohashi limits his sugars, counts his carbs and gets plenty of exercise. He is doing well, has become a leader by example and partly the inspiration for his DECA class’ public relations campaign, “Just Beat It,” which comes to the fore in November, National Diabetes Awareness Month.
Ohashi has joined forces with classmates Heather Odell and Nichola Usher in leading projects to promote diabetes awareness in the community.
The DECA effort features “Dine Out to Beat Diabetes Week” (Nov. 15-21), with 15 Auburn restaurants supporting the cause in a variety of ways: advertising the week; displaying table tents with diabetes information; highlighting healthy or light menu options; offering light substitutions at reduced or no cost; and even creating new, diabetes-friendly entrees.
The partnership with local restaurants came after learning that Ramiro Rubio, owner of Galerias Mexican Restaurant in Seattle, created healthy, diabetes-friendly options on his menu with the help of King County Public Health and the Seamar clinics.
The DECA trio wanted to do something similar on a larger scale with restaurants in Auburn.
The trio also has organized diabetes awareness activities throughout the month, including school-wide video presentations and lunch hour informational booths. The trio also is developing a curriculum lesson about the early detection of Type 1 diabetes and prevention of Type 2 diabetes to be used in the school’s health classes.
The campaign culminates with a school-wide assembly Nov. 24, featuring guest speakers and nutrition and fitness activities for students during a school-wide assembly.
The campaign’s mantra is a simple message for a difficult disease: Consider better eating choices, adopt a healthy lifestyle and prevent the disease from striking you.
The disease affects nearly 24 million Americans today.
“While Type 1 diabetes is genetic, 95 percent of people with this disease have Type 2, which is preventable,” Odell said. “We wanted to do something that would help educate people about what diabetes is and how they can prevent it.
“The facts are alarming,” Odell continued. “It’s pretty insane to think that about a third of our population may have diabetes by 2050.”
Now is the time to make a difference. Three students have stepped forward to perhaps make a difference in the face of a growing epidemic.
“It’s about making people aware of what they are eating,” Usher said.
“It’s about making small choices daily that could make a big difference in their lives,” Odell said.
====
The 15 participating restaurants in Auburn’s “Dine Out to Beat Diabetes Week,” Nov. 15-21, are: Athens; BB Magraw’s; Crown Catering; Jackpot Teriyaki; Jason’s Coffee; Mazatlan; Trotter’s Restaurant; Zola’s Café; T&T Chinese; Kouros Kuisine; Longhorn Barbecue; Performance Grill; The Kitsch-en; Las Margaritas and Sunbreak Café.
