Diseases like
type 2 diabetes, once only found in
adults, are now being diagnosed at
an alarming rate in children as young
as 10 years old. There are many medical
and psychological repercussions to
childhood obesity, but type 2 diabetes
is now setting off the loudest alarms.
We didn’t hear much about type
2 diabetes in children until 1997,
and even then, the numbers were small.
It seemed inconceivable that children
would have a disease not usually diagnosed
in adults until their 40s, but as
we see a rise in childhood obesity,
there has also been a rise in type
2 diabetes.
In
part because it has caught the medical
community by surprise, there are
very few statistics on how many
children have type 2 diabetes. We
do know that of all people diagnosed
with diabetes — adults and
children — 50 percent have
type 2, the result of poor diet
and not enough exercise. There are
children from all ethnic groups,
and as many boys as girls.
How does type 2 diabetes
develop?
The body produces insulin to keep
blood sugar levels normal. When
the body can’t produce enough
insulin or doesn’t use insulin
properly it becomes “insulin-resistant,”
and blood sugar levels skyrocket.
Being insulin-resistant is a strong
precursor of type 2 diabetes: 90%
of children diagnosed as insulin-resistant
risk developing type 2.
Most of the blame for insulin resistance
goes to too many saturated fats
and refined, sugary carbohydrates.
Put simply, the more refined carbohydrates
eaten, the more insulin that must
be produced to handle the resulting
elevation in blood sugar. The body
reacts to the high levels of insulin
by building up a resistance to it.
Over time, this results in less
and less effective blood sugar processing
Prevention
The best way to prevent insulin
resistance is to eat a balanced
diet, reducing intake of refined
carbohydrates. Adequate exercise
is important: thirty minutes of
moderate exercise a day is optimal.
Early Warning Signs
- Growth charts:
if a child is off the charts in
weight and sometimes height, or
makes dramatic jumps in weight.
- High blood
sugar levels
- Very thirsty
- Urinating
a lot
- Feeling
weak
- Skin color
— darkening of the skin
at the base of the neck, in the
folds of the arms or around the
eyes.
- Unhealed
scars, boils, unhealed mosquito
bites.
- Cholesterol:
Testing cholesterol is tricky
because levels can test normal.
But with type 2 diabetes, the
good cholesterol (LDL) is usually
too low, and the bad cholesterol
(HDL) and triglycerides are usually
elevated. As a result, the overall
cholesterol level can appear normal,
so the two cholesterols need to
be tested separately.
Consequences:
- High blood
pressure
- Early cardiovascular
disease
Kidney failure
Eye changes that can lead to blindness
Difficulties
In Treating Children
Kids don’t want to deal with
this, and because they don’t
end up in the hospital like people
with type 1, it can go on and on
without being treated. It’s
very difficult for young children
and teens to understand high blood
sugar levels, so they don’t
understand how important the diet
and exercise is. Kids also need
to have healthy options to choose
from and the education to do so
in order to make the right decisions
about their health.
Teenagers or even junior high kids
who have developed type 2 diabetes
may have to deal with it their entire
lives, but children in grammar school
can still make the lifestyle changes
needed if we start working on it
now.
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