Island-wide fitness testing of Bermuda's youngsters could set the scene for daily fitness sessions as educators seek to curb rising diabetes rates.

Last week diabetes experts said Bermuda's population could be higher than one in seven.

And they said that more youngsters were getting the disease - a problem partly blamed on their couch potato lifestyle.

Clinton Smith, who is head of the Education Department's PE programme, said: "We are developing the logistics for doing a scientific fitness test of youth. It will be random, from primary, middle and senior schools. "And the testing could eventually be done on every child.

"Testing has never been done on the entire student population. It's with a view to justifying a more active and regular PE programme.

"Right now most schools have PE two or three times a week. I am advocating having physical activity for 20 or 30 minutes every day -- that could be done.

"PE people alone could not do it. We would have to train classroom teachers to assist.'' He said children needed to do vigorous exercises for at least 20 minutes each day in order in make any measurable change in fitness levels.

And he said some kids make the mistake of thinking exercise was about losing weight when in reality they were bound to gain weight as they grew and built up muscle.

Daily routines were necessary because some PE sessions concentrated on theory or skills rather than increasing fitness, said Mr. Smith. "That's why it's important to do the testing to see if we need to go with my hypothesis that children in Bermuda are not as fit as they should be.'' A pilot programme has already started in the private schools and the public schools will start participating later this year.

"I will be interested to see what the survey turns up,'' said Mr. Smith.

He said he hoped gains would have been made following the introduction of a new-style sports curriculum designed to entice those not keen on traditional sports.

Mr. Smith explained: "There was a radical restructuring about four years ago.

"Physical education had a rather antiquated structure in that it catered more for the gifted and talented as compared to the broad masses.'' Instead of concentrating on football, track and field, softball and netball a huge range of options is now being offered said Mr. Smith. And fitness is a separate component within the new programme.

He said: "It was assumed children would get fit by accident by doing different sports activities.

"Now we are making more of a point of it with a number of units on physical fitness.

"My main aim is to encourage a healthy attitude toward physical fitness so they will want to do it on their own time.

"They should be able to write their own physical fitness programme for themselves as well as other people such as relatives.

"The PE programme is flying.'' "Hopefully this will all lead to fewer problems with diabetes as one of the ways to prevent diabetes is with regular exercise.'' Mount St. Agnes was one of the first schools to try the testing.

Kids had their height, weight and percentage of body fat measured. They also did a timed mile run and sit-ups and push ups.

The upshot, plus a 56-word questionnaire filled in by each child, will then be put through a computer.

Mount St. Agnes PE teacher Martin Ford said the results had not filtered back yet.

But he added: "It's been quite an eye opener -- some of them are quite unfit but it's not a pass and fail test.

"The kids responded to it quite well but we will have to see the follow-up before we make a judgment.''