Unhealthy weight increases diabetes risk for children
Q:My teenage daughter is alarmingly overweight. Doesn’t this increase her risk of diabetes?
A:“Yes it does. Type 2 diabetes, which occurs when the body can’t properly use insulin it produces, is often related to an unhealthy weight,” says Diana Collins, M.D., a board-certified pediatrician at Kelsey-Seybold Clinic. “Whereas Type 1 diabetes occurs when the body can’t make insulin, Type 2, formerly considered adult-onset diabetes, has been diagnosed among overweight children and adolescents with disturbing frequency.”
Reduce diabetes risk
“The continuing rise of this disease among adolescents need not be inevitable,” Dr. Collins says. “Proactive lifestyle adjustments can help reduce the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes.”
Her recommendations:
• Eat portion-controlled meals.
Limit fast foods. No “supersizing.” • Serve high-fiber foods such as whole grains, fresh fruits and vegetables.
• Make water and low-fat milk the drink of choice.
• Be physically active 30 to 60 minutes most days of the week.
• Limit TV and video games to less
than two hours a day.
• Have regular pediatric exams, which may include testing blood-glucose levels.
• Achieve and maintain a healthy weight. “Remember: A pediatrician is your best source for information about lifestyle strategies and medical options regarding your child’s longterm health,” emphasizes Dr. Collins, who cares for pediatric patients at Kelsey-Seybold’s Spring Medical and Diagnostic Center.