Hundreds of kids in the Bristol Bay region will get new Trek bikes -- including front suspension and 21 speeds for the big kids -- this summer thanks to an effort by Dillingham health officials to battle soaring diabetes rates.
The Bristol Bay Area Health Corp. plans to ship 735 bikes to Dillingham and 34 area villages, said Lois Schumacher, the hospital's diabetes program coordinator. The $150,000 program is financed by a federal grant for fighting diabetes among American Indians and Alaska Natives.
In a region with 8,000 residents, that's a lot of bikes, about one for every 11 people. Some already have arrived in Goodnews Bay, west of Dillingham. Kids in other communities should get their bikes sometime this month.
Kids need to get outside and shed weight to reduce their risk of getting diabetes as adults, Schumacher said. Too many are watching TV or hitching rides on four-wheelers to get around. About half the kids in the region are overweight, she said.
"We want to get them moving," she said.
Diabetes, caused by high blood sugar and linked to heart disease, has grown rapidly nationwide. The increase has been especially high among Alaska Natives -- 120 percent between 1990 and 2004. It's even higher in the mostly Yup'ik Bristol Bay region -- 170 percent, the Alaska Native Medical Center reports.
Mary Clark, 51, grew up in Bristol Bay and works at the hospital in Dillingham, population 2,400.
She'll lead kids on weekend bike rides through Dillingham, organize events with bike mechanics and hold hand-signal workshops. She'll also take her presentations to villages that request them.
Clark said waistlines are growing in the region because a lot of people are eating less subsistence foods such as berries and fish, and more junk food with little nutritional value, especially soda pop.
"This new generation is into chips, doughnuts, cookies, candy and a lot of pop," she said.
But will kids ride two wheels instead of four?
Yes, Clark said. Especially in the summer. That's when family four-wheelers are employed for subsistence chores such as hauling fish to smokehouses. The bike will be the first for many children.
"This is a godsend and (parents) are very pleased, so I'm sure we'll have a lot of kids riding."
Anyone in 12th grade or younger who doesn't have a working bike is eligible, Shumacher said.
Teens will get 21-speed bikes with shocks. Younger kids will get single-speed bikes, with boys getting racier versions that come in dark colors, with fenders.
Girls' bikes will come in pastel shades, with handlebar streamers and baskets. The smallest bikes come with training wheels.
The kids have to sign a contract saying they'll take care of their bikes, wear helmets and ride safely, but parents and tribal councils will ultimately be responsible for the bikes' use and care, Shumacher said.
EXERCISE IS KEY
About 200 people in the region have diabetes, including two youths, she said. The youngest is 11. Healthier kids are less likely to develop diabetes as adults and more likely to stay active, experts say.
"We're trying to encourage lifestyle change," Shumacher said.
Last year, she supplied each Bristol Bay community with at least two Dance Dance Revolution pads -- the blinking pads with TV monitors directing kids where to step. That program cost more than $85,000, also using federal money.
In Togiak, kids use the dance pads, but not in summer when the school is closed, said Helen Gregorio, a health representative in the village of about 800. Kids will use the bikes there, she predicted.
The state needs more prevention programs to make exercise a part of everyday life for kids, said Barbara Stillwater, the state's diabetes program manager.
Schumacher got the idea for the bike program after visiting Goodnews Bay, 242 miles west of Dillingham. The village council had purchased bike helmets but many children didn't have bikes there. Eighteen bikes have already been shipped there.
The kids who got them are excited, said Peter Julius, tribal administrator.
"I see them around, showing off their new bikes," he said.
Find Alex deMarban online at adn.com/contact/ademarban or call 257-4310.
