Better Health & Living: Article: Protect Your Child From Diabetes

Issue: February 2008

Home > health > weekly_column > Protect Your Child From Diabetes

Protect Your Child From Diabetes

by Susan Flagg Godbey

Published in health •weekly_column | 0 Comments, Talk about this article »

Once a health threat for a small percentage of older people, type 2 diabetes is now a looming problem for many kids and teens. Today’s overweight, inactive kids are at high risk of developing this dangerous blood sugar problem by midlife. An estimated one in three children born in 2003 or later will go on to develop diabetes in their adult years.

Type 2 diabetes is even showing up in childhood, says Francine Kaufman, MD, former president of the American Diabetes Association; head of the Center for Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism at Children’s Hospital in Los Angeles; and author of Diabesity: The Obesity-Diabetes Epidemic That Threatens America—-And What We Must Do to Stop It. In the past, childhood diabetes was almost all type 1 (a lack of insulin); but type 2 (when blood sugar rises because cells don’t obey insulin) now accounts for 8 to 45 percent of new diabetes cases reported by pediatricians across America. The cause: Obesity. “On the positive side,” Dr. Kaufman says, “parents can play a major role in keeping their children healthy—by helping them be more active and encouraging them to eat fewer calories whenever possible.” She offers these suggestions.

Q: My child eats junk food and gets little exercise. How can I help?

A: Parents ask me all the time how they can get their children to make healthier choices, and the answer is: They’ll do it if they see us doing it. So don’t lecture, do. Bonus: You’ll lower your risk of becoming overweight and developing type 2 diabetes, too.

Q: If my child looks heavy, should I put her on a diet?

A: A child is considered obese if her body mass index (or BMI, a measurement that relates weight to height) is over the 95th percentile for her age and gender; those in the 85th to 95th percentiles are overweight. Use the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s BMI calculator for kids (www.cdc.gov/toolsresources) to find your child’s BMI and percentile or ask your doctor to do it.

Talk to your doctor before putting an overweight or obese child or teen on a weight-loss diet. Kids need nutrients and calories in order to grow. Often, the best approach is to help your child maintain her current weight as she grows taller, which will automatically slim her down.

Q: My family loves pasta and bread. Do I have to cut out all starches and sweets to avoid diabetes?

A: No, but do limit white bread, white rice, white pasta, and sweets. Aim for at least five servings of fruit and vegetables a day. Go light on high-sugar snacks and desserts and serve whole-grain, higher-fiber breads and grains. High-fiber foods help keep blood sugar lower and steadier and can even reduce chronic inflammation, a malfunction of the immune system that causes constant tissue destruction and repair throughout the body, which have been linked to obesity and diabetes risk.

Q: How bad is it that my child drinks a lot of sodas and sweet drinks?

A: High in calories and packed with refined sugars, sweet drinks raise blood sugar levels and lead to overweight. Replace them with water, unsweetened tea, and especially milk, either fat free or low fat. The bone-building calcium, vitamin D, and other minerals in dairy foods also seem to lower the risk of metabolic syndrome. Choose lactose-free milk if your child can’t digest regular milk.

Q: How can I get my kids to put down their video games, stop messaging their friends, and go outside to play?

A: Make exercise a fun family activity. Take a family walk after dinner and always have an enjoyable activity on the weekend agenda. Staying active keeps blood sugar levels healthy and makes cells throughout the body more sensitive to insulin, a hormone that tells cells to absorb sugar traveling in the blood so it doesn’t just collect there, where it can damage organs. In contrast, inactivity can lead to insulin resistance, a risk factor for type 2 diabetes.

Q: Should my kids be tested for diabetes?

A: Most children do not need a blood sugar test. Ask your doctor about one, though, if your child is over age 10, is overweight or obese, and has any of the following:

Patches of thickened, velvety, or darker skin behind the neck, under the arms, or at the groin. Called acanthosis nigricans, this is a sign of insulin resistance, meaning that your child’s body isn’t processing blood sugar normally.

Inherited risk. Your child’s risk may be higher than normal if diabetes runs in the family or if she is of African-American, Hispanic, Asian, Pacific Island, or Native American descent.

Polycystic ovary syndrome. This is a health problem for women and teen girls as young as 11 that involves irregular or missed menstrual periods.

Call the doctor right away if your child has any of these signs of full-blown diabetes: Unusual fatigue, excessive thirst and urination, or unexplained weight loss.

By Susan Flagg Godbey and the editors of Better Health & LIVING