Children, Obesity, Diabetes
October 7th 2006 04:29
With the ever increasing rise in childhood obesity we have seen an unfortunate increase of children with Type 2 diabetes. In the past Type 2 diabetes was not thought of as a childhood problem but as a problem striking thousands of overweight adults.
Obesity is the number one biggest risk factor in both children and adults. Two things have a positive effect on Type 2 diabetes: eating healthy and increasing your daily activities. Type 2 diabetics have a 74-100% chance of having a family member with diabetes so adopting a healthier lifestyle now could change the percentages.
Vincent Iannelli, M.D. wrote: The American Diabetic Association considers kids at risk and requiring testing if they are overweight and has any two other risk factors, including:
A family history of type 2 diabetes.
Belonging to a certain race/ethnic group.
Having signs of insulin resistance or
conditions associated with insulin resistance.
Testing for Type II diabetes should usually include a fasting plasma glucose level, which will be high (hyperglycemia) if your child has diabetes. Other tests might include a urine glucose test, which will likely show sugar in the child's urine (glycosuria), a random glucose, and/or a HbA1c (a more long term test of glucose levels).
Since your child is likely overweight if he is being tested for Type II diabetes, he should usually also have his cholesterol tested at this time.
The best thing that we as parents can do for our children is to reduce the poor eating choices one - two items at a time and replacing them with healthy choices, we can also set aside time each day that promotes physical activities instead of TV or Computer games, join them and make this a special time.
Obesity is the number one biggest risk factor in both children and adults. Two things have a positive effect on Type 2 diabetes: eating healthy and increasing your daily activities. Type 2 diabetics have a 74-100% chance of having a family member with diabetes so adopting a healthier lifestyle now could change the percentages.
Vincent Iannelli, M.D. wrote: The American Diabetic Association considers kids at risk and requiring testing if they are overweight and has any two other risk factors, including:
A family history of type 2 diabetes.
Belonging to a certain race/ethnic group.
Having signs of insulin resistance or
conditions associated with insulin resistance.
Testing for Type II diabetes should usually include a fasting plasma glucose level, which will be high (hyperglycemia) if your child has diabetes. Other tests might include a urine glucose test, which will likely show sugar in the child's urine (glycosuria), a random glucose, and/or a HbA1c (a more long term test of glucose levels).
Since your child is likely overweight if he is being tested for Type II diabetes, he should usually also have his cholesterol tested at this time.
The best thing that we as parents can do for our children is to reduce the poor eating choices one - two items at a time and replacing them with healthy choices, we can also set aside time each day that promotes physical activities instead of TV or Computer games, join them and make this a special time.
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