Living with diabetes is not exactly a cakewalk. The doctor apart from regular medication has advised that diet and other lifestyle changes play a major role in management of the metabolic disorder. Managing diabetes in children is all the more challenging as this is the stage where the little ones are growing and developing and any compromises in nutrition could lead to deficiencies, malnutrition or delayed growth and development.
While the most common type of diabetes in children is type 1 diabetes, the cases of type 2 diabetes in children and adolescents to are on an upsurge. In type 1 diabetes, the pancreas does not make insulin
Recent surge of obesity or being overweight in children has led to increasing rate of Type 2 diabetes in children and adolescents. About 85% of children with Type 2 Diabetes are overweight or obese. Average age of onset of Type 2 Diabetes in children is 13-14 years. Worldwide about 4% to 23% of children are overweight or obese. Type 2 diabetes is likely to occur in children who are obese or overweight, who have a first degree relative with diabetes and in these who belong to ethnic high-risk groups like – American Indians, South Asians, Hispanics, Latinos, said Dr. Sailesh Lodha, HOD and Sr. Consultant – Diabetes and Endocrinology, Eternal Hospital, Jaipur.
Unhealthy lifestyle including – physical inactivity, altered sleep cycle, eating Junk food, not eating fresh fruits, increased screen time also contribute. Obese children are more likely to turn up obese adults as the weight during childhood goes off rarely. Obese children also suffer from behavioural disorders like ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder), problems with body language, low self-esteem, social isolation and discrimination, he said.
Children of overweight or obese mothers are overweight by 4 years of age. Girls have a peculiar problem associated with obesity – PCOS, which may have long term consequences.