People with type 2 diabetes have tissues that are resistant to insulin, the hormone responsible for keeping normal glucose levels in the bloodstream. This disorder was once seen as an adult disease, but more and more American children are developing type 2 diabetes. At the same time, more American children are becoming obese.
Overweight and Obesity in Children
BMI, or the body mass index, calculates weight in relation to height. A child with a BMI in the 85th to 95th percentile for their sex and age is overweight, while a child with a BMI over the 95th percentile is obese. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or CDC, the results of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey show that as of 2008, approximately 16.9 percent of children from 2 years old to 19 years old are obese.
Type 2 Diabetes and Children
Dr. Tamara Hannon writes in the August 2005 issue of "Pediatrics" that being obese or overweight are risks for the development of diabetes type 2 in children. This disease had always been considered a disease of adults, but no longer. Along with the increase in overweight American youth, there has been an increase in the development of diabetes type 2. Indeed, many of the new cases of diabetes in children are type 2. Hannon writes that in some areas, 50 percent of the newly-diagnosed diabetic children have type 2.
How Obesity Leads to Diabetes Type 2
The beta cells of the pancreas secrete insulin to prevent the glucose levels in the bloodstream from getting too high. In type 1 diabetes, these pancreatic cells have been destroyed, but in type 2, the tissues become resistant to insulin. The high number of fat cells leads to a lot of free fatty acids, which interfere with the beta cells and with the use of glucose, and they stimulate the liver to make glucose, explains Dr. Alvin Powers, director of the Vanderbilt Diabetes Center in "Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine."
How to Lower the Risk
According to the National Institutes of Health, or NIH, children can lower their risk for developing diabetes type 2 by staying at the normal weight for their sex and age, losing weight if they are overweight or obese, having plenty of physical activity and having a healthy diet. Every day, girls from the age of 11 to 17 years old and boys ages 11 to 14 years old should have 30 to 60 minutes of physical activity. They should also follow a healthy food guide, eating food based on their sex, age, height and daily activity.
City Programs
Recognizing that there is an association between food, being overweight and type 2 diabetes in children, some cities are actively working to encourage healthy food choices and physical activity. The New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene has encouraged the sale of 1 percent milk in Latino grocery stores and jointly sponsored fitness programs for children. The Indiana State Department of Health has approved requirements to increase nutrition and physical activity in schools and daycare centers.
References
- CDC: Prevalence of Obesity Among Children and Adolescents in United States
- "Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine"; Dr. Anthony Fauci et al; 2008
- National Institutes of Health: Tips for Teens
- New York City Department of Health: Triennial Report
- Pediatrics: Childhood Obesity and Type 2 Diabetes
