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Children and type 2 diabetes

Type 2 diabetes was once a disease that occurred primarily, if not exclusively, in adults. Today, however, the disease is increasingly appearing in adolescents and even in children. Recent research offers these alarming statistics:

  • There has been a 10-to-30 fold increase in American children with type 2 diabetes in the past 10 to 15 years. Most of these children are from ethnic groups at high risk for type 2 diabetes, i.e. African, Hispanic and Asian descent. Given that 77 per cent of new Canadians are from these populations, the rate of type 2 diabetes in this country is expected to skyrocket in coming years.
  • One in every three American children born in 2000 will likely be diagnosed with diabetes in their lifetime; similar rates are anticipated for Canadian children.
  • Type 2 diabetes is being diagnosed in Canadian First Nations children as young as eight years of age, and the incidence appear to be increasing rapidly.
  • In the next 15 years, it is anticipated that the global incidence of type 2 diabetes in children will increase by up to 50 per cent.

Who is at risk?

The development of type 2 diabetes is closely related to obesity; about 95 per cent of children with type 2 diabetes are overweight at diagnosis. Given that the proportion of Canadian children who are overweight has tripled in the last 30 years, it is not surprising that incidence of type 2 diabetes among youth is rising.

In addition to obesity, factors that increase a child’s risk for developing type 2 diabetes include:

  • being a member of a high-risk ethnic group;
  • having a family history of the disease (especially being born to a mother whose pregnancy was complicated by diabetes);
  • having dark, velvety patches in skin folds (a skin condition known as acanthosis nigricans);
  • having high levels of fat in the blood (dyslipidemia);
  • having high blood pressure (hypertension); and,
  • having polycystic ovarian syndrome (a disorder in females that is marked by lack of menstrual periods, unusual hair growth and excess weight).

About half of all children with type 2 diabetes do not have any symptoms and are diagnosed only when screened for other disorders related to obesity. The Canadian Diabetes Association recommends screening for type 2 diabetes in obese children 10 years of age and older (or when puberty starts, if earlier than age 10) who have at least two of the risk factors noted above.

Prevention

A healthy lifestyle can significantly reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. In fact, studies in adults suggest that moderate weight loss and regular physical activity can reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes by more than 50 per cent.

Try these simple lifestyle changes that can make a big difference in the health of your family:

  • switch from regular pop to sugar-free pop or water;
  • switch to lower-fat dairy products, such as 1% or skim milk;
  • offer children healthy snack choices, such as fresh fruits and cut-up veggies;
  • model healthy eating and activity habits for your children;
  • leave the car at home; walk or bike whenever possible;
  • gradually reduce screen time (television computers, etc.) and replace it with active play time. try a family walk after dinner; and
  • follow Eating Well with Canada’s Food Guide and Canada’s Physical Activity Guides for Children and Youth.

For more information

The following resources are available online: