Type 2 Diabetes - Childhood Obesity Is Leading to Diabetes in Adolescents!

The increase in Type 2 diabetes mirrors the increased incidence of obesity which has reached epidemic proportions around the world. At this time there are 45 million obese adults in the United States alone: that is around 30% of the adult population. And these people are all at an elevated risk for Type 2 diabetes.

Once owned by the elderly alone, Type 2 diabetes has become a disease of middle age and even young adulthood. And now this type of diabetes is affecting children as well.

Both being overweight or obese are known to be important predisposing factors to Type 2 diabetes; researchers in the Department of Exercise Science, California Lutheran University, Los Angeles in the United States looked at changes that are likely to explain the relationship. Results of their study were published in the Journal of Pediatrics, September 2010.

Two hundred and thirty-five overweight adolescents were enrolled in the study and examined yearly for 5 years:

insulin sensitivityinsulin release by the pancreas, andbeta cell functioning (beta cells make insulin in the pancreas)

were followed. Pubertal development was followed by use of the Tanner scale: a simple method of examining adolescents according to certain changes their bodies undergo on the way to adulthood.

In Boys: it was found insulin sensitivity went down in early puberty and improved by late puberty. At first, more insulin was secreted to make up for the insensitivity, but as puberty progressed insulin secretion went down.

In Girls: results showed insulin sensitivity also decreased in the early stages of puberty, and continued to decrease throughout adolescence. At first there was an increase in insulin secretion, but the reaction decreased in girls as it had in boys.

It was concluded that beta cells were losing their ability to function. The researchers went on to say that beta cell deterioration would increase the risk of the participants' developing Type 2 diabetes.

The Reason We are Seeing Type 2 in Children: The epidemic in Type 2 diabetes and its diagnosis in adolescents and children have followed the epidemic of overweight and obesity seen in developed countries... obesity is escalating in our youth.

A Call to Action: Parents need to take action before diabetes and all its complications can develop. Parents share with schools the enormous opportunity and responsibility to shape our children. Childhood is when habits develop that will be with them for a lifetime. This is the best time to teach them about healthy eating and physical activity.