You Can Help Children Avoid Type 2 Diabetes

Type 2 diabetes is affecting kids in a big way, but diet and exercise can help children avoid or reverse this condition.

Once upon a time, type 2 diabetes was called “adult-onset diabetes.” If children had diabetes, 99 times out of 100 it was type 1 diabetes; type 2 diabetes didn’t appear until midlife. Now, studies suggest that up to 45 percent of childhood diabetes cases are type 2 diabetes.

Type 2 Diabetes: Why the Increase?

“No one is certain why, but most experts believe that it is related in part to the obesity epidemic,” explains Frank Diamond, MD, clinical director for the University of South Florida Diabetes Center and professor of pediatrics at the University of South Florida in Tampa. “We now have approximately 17 percent of the pediatric population that is overweight. Genetically at-risk children may be acquiring the disease earlier because of the increased insulin resistance associated with their early obesity. We are seeing many children with adult weights in our pediatric clinics today.”

Dr. Diamond also notes that the increase may be due to a rise in the proportion of children with ethnic minority heritage that puts them at increased risk for type 2 diabetes.

Basically, says Paul Robertson, MD, president of medicine and science at the American Diabetes Association, and professor of medicine and pharmacology at the University of Washington in Seattle, the causes of childhood type 2 diabetes boil down to genetic risk mixed with physical inactivity and poor eating habits.

“We know if the diets are corrected and they lose the weight, the diabetes becomes undetectable,” says Dr. Robertson.
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Type 2 Diabetes: What Parents Can Do

The first step to preventing type 2 diabetes in childhood is to face the fact that it can happen to children, says Diamond. Then be on guard for symptoms and ask for diabetes screening.

“Symptoms include tiring easily, thirst, and increased urination. A darkening of the skin (acanthosis nigricans) on the back of the neck, under the arms, and in the groin area is associated with obesity and [is] a common finding with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes children,” he says.

Also, bear in mind that if you had gestational diabetes during your pregnancy, your children are at increased risk of type 2 diabetes.

“Especially in families with a positive family history of type 2 diabetes, avoidance of excessive weight gain and encouragement of an active lifestyle are extremely important and the best tools to avoid the development of type 2 diabetes,” says Diamond. Some children may be candidates for a drug called metformin.

Type 2 Diabetes: Testing

Parents who are concerned that their child might have diabetes should ask for a fasting glucose screening test. That test determines how much sugar is in the blood before a person has eaten.

“A value over 99 mg/dL is abnormal and suggests ‘impending’ diabetes or glucose intolerance. A value equal to or greater than 126 mg/dL is diagnostic of diabetes,” says Diamond.

Any results above the normal range should be red flags for you and your family to:

* Eat a healthy diet rich in whole grains, lean proteins, fruits, and veggies. You can get help changing your family’s diet from a dietitian, if necessary.
* Get at least 30 minutes of exercise a day.
* Help your child lose at least 5 percent of his body weight if he is overweight.

Remember, childhood type 2 diabetes is within your family’s control.

“Lose weight, be active, eat the right foods,” says Robertson. “Lifestyle modifications can do a great deal in terms of staving off type 2 diabetes.”
Last Updated: 04/16/2009
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