Disordered eating habits are a primary factor in the diagnosis of diabetes in children and adolescents, potentially leading to chronic or severe complications as they age.
Dr. Inoelva Espinal, Vice President of the Dominican Society of Endocrinology and Nutrition, Northern Branch, explained that inconsistent dietary patterns within the country are contributing to a faster rise in chronic diseases.
“Dominicans have poor nutritional education, and this is leading to more and more children becoming sick because there is a lack of guidance on what foods to eat and avoid, and especially what to offer children,” the endocrinologist stated.
Dr. Espinal urged parents to prioritize healthy meals for their children and to limit excessive consumption of sugars, fats, and junk food, which can contribute to childhood obesity and illness.
“Give the children healthy food, not so much junk that they buy. Parents shouldn’t wait for their children to get sick; they are responsible for providing them with healthy food,” she emphasized.
School Breakfast and Lunch Programs
Dr. Dennys Guillén, an endocrinologist-pediatrician and member of the Diabetes Department at the Dr. Arturo Grullón Regional Children’s Hospital, too pointed to school breakfast and lunch programs as contributing factors to obesity and diabetes in children and adolescents.
“The school breakfast is formulated for children from low-income families who do not have adequate nutrition and have a caloric deficit, but that is not the case in our country,” Guillén asserted. “If you read the milk cartons, they contain a lot of sugar and carbohydrates.”
School Cafeterias
Pedro Pablo Marte, Director of the Regional 08 of Santiago of the Ministry of Education, indicated that continuous assessments are conducted in schools and school districts through the health department to monitor student health conditions.
Marte explained that, with the increasing prevalence of these health conditions, the Regional and district offices, in collaboration with schools, removed sugary drinks from school cafeterias to prevent further increases in childhood obesity and diabetes.
“In the case of Santiago, we are strict regarding cafeterias, ensuring that they do not sell items loaded with sugar and that they do not sell products that are not authorized,” Marte affirmed.
The regional director also noted that they have successfully shut down unauthorized cafeterias that did not comply with the regulations managed by the INABIE.
Marte assured that more than five large schools in Santiago, operating on extended schedules, have had their cafeterias dismantled and eliminated.
Incidence
According to data from the Health Repository of the National Health Service (SNS), 14,467 cases of diabetes mellitus were received in outpatient consultations during 2025, representing 8.79% of all outpatient consultations.
13,567 diabetes cases were treated in emergency rooms, along with 1,096 hospitalizations.
So far this year, diagnoses of type 2 and type 1 diabetes in children and adolescents in Santiago and the Cibao region have increased significantly.
The Dr. Arturo Grullón Regional University Children’s Hospital in this city receives approximately 100 patients between the ages of 4 and 17 each month.
