Diabetes in Children

Reducing The Occurrence Of Diabetes in Children

The incidence of obesity in children has led some to describe childhood obesity as a crisis. Unfortunately, diabetes in children is consequence of the childhood obesity crisis. The incidence of diabetes in children has multiplied threefold during the last 30 years.

Diabetes in Children – Symptoms

Diabetes in children is evidenced by these main symptoms, which may appear over the course of several weeks: thirst, weight loss, fatigue, and frequent urination. In addition, children may experience stomach pain, headaches, and behavior problems. If children complain of these symptoms, or if parents notice them, they should seek medical attention immediately and inform the doctor of their suspicions.

Diabetes in Children – Causes

As mentioned above, the childhood obesity crisis is the cause of diabetes in many children, and doctors can expect to see more and more young patients presenting with diabetic symptoms. Abdominal obesity in particular has been noted as a factor that contributes to diabetes in children.

A sedentary lifestyle exacerbates the condition, so children who get little or no physical exercise are more likely to develop diabetes than their active counterparts.

Diabetes runs in families, so a family history of diabetes also makes the incidence of diabetes in children more likely to occur. Diabetes in children is more prevalent among certain races, so children of African-American, Hispanic, and Native American descent are more likely to develop diabetes than other children.

Diabetes in Children – Prevention

Fortunately, there are strategies parents can adopt to prevent diabetes from occurring in their children. Improving a child's diet is probably the most important thing a parent can do to prevent diabetes in their children. Children should be encouraged to eat foods that are high in nutrients and low in fat and sugar. A child's diet should consist of plenty of whole grain cereals and breads, vegetables, fruits, and lean proteins. Sugar-filled beverages should be excluded.

Recent studies among adults have shown that diabetic adults benefit from a low-fat vegan diet that excludes all animal products such as meat, poultry, fish, dairy, and eggs. Many parents have found that children thrive on a low-fat vegan diet, and children, loving animals as they do, enjoy eating a diet that is low in animal products.

Another important way to prevent diabetes in children is to encourage the child to get plenty of exercise and increase the child's physical activity. Sedentary parents tend to raise sedentary children, so the best thing a parent can do is put down the remote control, get out of the recliner, and go for a walk or a bike ride with their children.