Health Information
Just a few years ago, it was rare to hear about a child with type 2 diabetes. It used to be thought that if diabetes occurred in childhood, it was type 1, or juvenile-onset diabetes. Sadly, that's not the case anymore. Now, according to the CDC, one in three American children born in 2000 will develop type 2 diabetes, formerly called adult-onset diabetes.
The digestive system breaks down carbohydrates into blood sugar glucose as the pancreas creates a hormone called insulin to lead glucose from the blood vessels into the cells of the body to be used for energy. In type 2 diabetes, the cells in a child’s body are resistant to the effects of insulin and glucose builds up in the bloodstream. Eventually, this causes glucose to reach dangerous levels in the blood. Over time, the body becomes increasingly less able to handle all the glucose in the blood vessels. The high blood sugar can then lead to diabetes complications, such as heart disease, blindness, and kidney failure.
The single greatest risk factor for type 2 diabetes in children is excess weight. In the US, almost one out of every five children is considered to be overweight. Once a child is overweight, chances are more than double that the child will develop diabetes. One or more of these factors may contribute to excess weight or obesity:
- Unhealthy eating patterns
- Lack of physical activity
- An inherited tendency
- A hormone problem or other medical condition
The risk of type 2 diabetes in children appears to be associated with excess abdominal weight. This obesity pattern increases the chance of insulin resistance and the risk of type 2 diabetes.
The first step in treating type 2 diabetes is for your child to visit a doctor. If your child has diabetes, you and your child will work with the doctor and other health professionals to create a plan to manage diabetes. The goal is reduce your child's blood glucose to normal levels. Two strategies to help your child achieve or maintain a normal weight and normal blood glucose levels are by reducing fats and sweets in the diet and making sure your child gets at least 30 minutes of physical activity each day. In fact, studies show that exercise has a dramatic effect on reducing insulin resistance. E3Sports Performance Specialists have been trained to work with diabetic children to help them achieve their fitness goals.
