Type 2 diabetes was once called adult-onset diabetes, because it generally developed only in adults. When children developed diabetes, they almost always had type 1 diabetes, an autoimmune disorder that attacks the insulin-producing cells in the pancreas. That's no longer the case; in some areas, 30 to 40 percent of children with diabetes have type 2 diabetes, Washington University in St. Louis reported in 2005. As the percentage of overweight children rises, so does the incidence of type 2 diabetes.
Causes
Type 2 diabetes is usually associated with overweight and high glucose intake. Insulin resistance is a primary factor in developing type 2 diabetes. Cells need glucose for energy. Insulin release from the pancreas facilitates the uptake of glucose into cells. When insulin resistance develops, it takes more insulin than normal to get cells to respond to the signal. More glucose stays in the bloodstream, which signals the pancreas to make even more insulin. In some people, the insulin-producing cells eventually burn out from overwork and no longer produce enough insulin to handle the glucose in the bloodstream. Blood sugar levels rise to diabetic levels. The more a child eats, the more insulin must be released to handle the load.
Diet and Type 2 Diabetes
A diet high in simple sugars causes blood sugar levels to rise rapidly because they break down very quickly into glucose after being eaten. Foods that take longer to digest , such as complex carbohydrates, slow the rise in blood sugar. Insulin is released more slowly and evenly, which allows cells to respond more efficiently to it. Eating fewer simple sugars and more complex carbohydrates can slow or prevent the progression of type 2 diabetes.
Overweight and Type 2 Diabetes
Excess fat makes it harder for cells to respond to insulin. According to the American Heart Association, the number of overweight or obese children has risen to around 33 percent, almost three times the number in 1963. The Diabetes Prevention Program states that adults at risk of developing type 2 diabetes could cut their risk by 58 percent by losing weight. For children, who are still growing, keeping weight at a constant level as the child grows taller is often the main emphasis when treating overweight, the AHA adds.
Prevention
Poor eating habits are learned at home. Children who become overweight often have overweight parents; in fact, a child with two obese parents has an 80 percent chance of becoming obese, the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry reports. Children who eat more processed foods, fast food, fatty foods, snacks and sugar are at risk for both overweight and type 2 diabetes, especially if they also don't exercise.
