One group of students has vowed to keep up the fight against Bermuda?s alarming trend in teenage diabetes.

Whitney Institute Middle School pupils are clocking their steps on personal pedometers in a bid to keep fit.

The school?s PE teacher Ajene Webb managed to order custom-made pedometers for the students who proudly wear the devices and record every step they make throughout the day.

The students? steps will be tallied at the end of the school year and the winners will be awarded various prizes from both the school and the Bermuda Diabetes Association.

The Bermuda Diabetes Association?s president, Trevor Madeiros, commended Whitney last week for being the only school ? out of ten that participated last year ? that has continued with the Pedometer Challenge, and hoped that they will serve as an example to other schools.

Credited with Whitney?s achievement are teachers Ms Webb and Devarr Boyles, who encouraged the involvement of the entire school.

Ms Jones, also an executive board member of the Diabetes Association, remarked on the efforts of teachers like Ms Webb and said they?will make such a difference in the lives of the children?.

As children get older, Ms Jones said, it becomes increasingly harder to engage them in healthy food habits and activities.

Teens are a ?hard group? to deal with, she said, therefore it is vital to start teaching the more receptive younger children about healthy living so that they might prevent developing Type Two diabetes later on.