Morristown, NJ, October 17, 2005
Peak incidence of diabetes in children occurs during puberty and can make an already stressful time worse as these adolescents try to manage a complicated disease with a growing social life.
To help these young patients successfully balance good diabetes care and an active lifestyle, a Morristown Memorial Hospital physician has created a teen-friendly website, www.thinklikeapancreas.com, which explains, among other things, how they can still pursue dating, sports and other activities while controlling their diabetes. Putting such information on the Internet in a fun and animated way, researchers suggest, is extremely effective for this age group since the web is the preferred format for teens to find information.
“Type 1 Diabetes, a condition where the body fails to produce insulin, is a chronic disease. These teenagers have to watch what they eat, how many times they eat, be much more mindful of over exertion in sports and a host of other concerns. Naturally they are a little overwhelmed about these things and how it might impact their health, ” said Harold Starkman, MD, director of the BD Diabetes Center at Morristown Memorial Hospital’s Goryeb Children’s Hospital who is also the website’s creator. “The website provides a fun and comfortable way for them to get information about issues they may not be willing to discuss with their parents or physician,” he said.
Funded by a grant from the Joseph Leroy and Ann C. Warner Fund, Inc., the site boasts light-hearted characters such as Pierre Pancreas and a doo-wop singing group called the “Keytones” (named for a fat breakdown substance that often increases when diabetes is not well controlled), terms all too-familiar to diabetes patients. The site tackles strong youth-oriented issues such as the effects of performance enhancement supplements on those with diabetes, menstruation and birth control questions, smoking, driving and exercise. Girls and boys only sections of the site discuss gender-related concerns.
“We are using the site as a way to educate them and help prevent acute, long-term complications that require re-admission to the hospital,” said Dr. Starkman. “This is an extension of our hospital-based program and is an example of why we have one of the country’s lowest re-admission rates for diabetes,” Dr. Starkman said.
The risk of diabetes in teenagers is higher than virtually all other severe chronic childhood diseases, primarily occurring at ages 10-12 for girls and 12-14 years of age for boys.

Part of the Atlantic Health System, www.atlantichealth.org, Morristown Memorial is a non-profit 628-licensed-bed hospital in Morristown, NJ. An affiliate of the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey-New Jersey Medical School, Morristown Memorial’s specialties include cardiology and cardiac surgery, adult and pediatric oncology, critical and emergency care and inpatient rehabilitation and neonatal intensive care services. Morristown Memorial is also a Level II Regional Trauma Center and a Level III Regional Perinatal Center. Home to the largest cardiac surgery center in the state, Morristown’s other services include the Goryeb Children’s Hospital, Carol G. Simon Cancer Center, and North Jersey Regional Arthritis Center. Morristown Memorial is designated as a Magnet Hospital for Excellence in Nursing Service, the highest level of recognition by American Nurses Credentialing Center available to facilities that provide acute care services, and has also been ranked among the top 100 cardiovascular hospitals in the United States.

Atlantic Health System also includes Overlook Hospital in Summit and Mountainside Hospital in Montclair. The hospital is accredited by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO).