Diabetes Linked to Epidemic of Childhood Obesity
 Nearly
21 million Americans are diabetic, according to the
Centers for Disease Control, and 41 million more are
prediabetic, meaning that their blood sugar is high,
and could reach the diabetic level. New studies show
that an alarming number of the prediabetic are children:
nearly 2 million.
“The epidemic of obesity in children has led
to an increase in a number of obesity-related diseases
during childhood, including Type 2 diabetes mellitus,”
says Charlotte Boney, MD, of the Hallett
Center for Diabetes and Endocrinology. A child with
a body
mass index (BMI) of 30 or greater is five times
more likely to develop diabetes than children with a
BMI of 25 or less.
Children who have undiagnosed diabetes may have classic
symptoms including excessive thirst, frequent urination,
weight loss, dry and itchy skin, tingly feet or blurry
vision—or may have no symptoms at all.
Type 2 diabetes can cause heart disease, stroke, blindness
and kidney failure, so it is important to test children
who are at high risk. The
Hallett Center for Diabetes and Endocrinology, the
state’s only comprehensive academic diabetes and
endocrinology center, offers testing, along with a full
range of inpatient and outpatient services such as comprehensive
checkups; medication management; home blood-glucose
monitoring instruction; support groups, and coordination
of exercise, nutrition and weight management plans.
If your child is overweight and you have a family history
of diabetes, your child may be at risk for diabetes.
For all children, however, exercise and proper nutrition
lowers the risk of diabetes and other problems now,
and later in life. “Weight reduction and increased
physical activity should be promoted in all children,”
says Boney, “to reverse this epidemic of obesity
and Type 2 diabetes in our youth.”
To schedule an appointment or more information, you
can call the Hallett Center at 401-444-8344 or visit
our website.
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