Jo’s Cafe

Type 2 Diabetes Is Increasing Among Children All Over The World

Weight gain, poor nutrition, and lack of exercise reduce the action of insulin–a hormone that allows sugar to enter cells where it can be used for energy–a condition called insulin resistance. Initially, the body compensates for the resistance by increasing production. However, over time the ability of the pancreas to increase production doesn’t keep up and blood sugar begins to rise, leading eventually to type 2 diabetes.

Orit Pinhas-Hamiel, M.D. of Sheba Medical Center in Israel and Philip Zeitler, M.D., Ph.D. of the University of Colorado reviewed articles and reports on type 2 diabetes in children and adolescents between 1978 and 2004. Although the review is limited to published data only, they found that type 2 diabetes accounts for up to 45% of new cases among adolescents. The authors cite higher percentages in areas such as New York, Taiwan, New Zealand, and Canada.