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Type 2 Diabetes – Preventing Diabetes in Children!

January 3rd, 2012 by admin No comments »

Being afflicted with illnesses is something we tend to accept as we age. But how tragic it is to see our children become ill due to disease… especially when the condition is avoidable. Type 2 diabetes is one of those conditions we can all work at to keep away from our children. Statistics show one in every 36 children has the disease with these numbers continuing to increase at an alarming rate. Working towards prevention is much better than learning to live with Type 2 diabetes.

In a society where children once rarely developed Type 2 diabetes, it now resembles a plaque sweeping over our children. So what can parents do to protect their children from this dreadful disease? Actually, there are many steps that can be taken. And the great thing about these measures is that they also carry added health benefits in many other areas of our health.

First and foremost in this battle is weight control. Our children have become obsessed with junk food. And society is making it way too accessible. Add to that the warp-speed lifestyle we have created and it spells disaster for eating balanced, wholesome meals.

Maintaining a proper body weight is essential to cutting off a main factor to the development of Type 2 diabetes. The old adage of fruits, vegetables, lean meats and limiting fat is still in effect. Feeding children a diet containing healthy foods, will not only ward off this form of diabetes but will help them excel in other areas too.

But where the weight appears is as important as it actually being present. Children who carry excess weight around their middle, creating an “apple shaped” figure, are at a greater risk of developing Type 2 diabetes. Besides being much more prone to insulin resistance, which is linked to Type 2 diabetes, it causes a host of other health problems such as heart disease, high cholesterol and high blood pressure.

More than 90 percent of children diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes are overweight.

That leads to another culprit: sugar. It appears in everything, from the obvious fast food and soft drinks to many hidden areas. That’s why it is important to scale back on your child’s sugar intake at an early age. Starting an obsession with sugar as a child will be an even harder habit to break as an adult.

Exercise is another crucial factor. A generation ago leisure time was filled with playing outside, sports, riding bikes and running around. These past times have now been replaced with gaming, texting, TV and computer use. Exercise is a critical part of defending the body against this disease. Cardiovascular and pulmonary systems working at efficient levels help to burn sugar, reducing the amount that becomes stored as body fat and keeping blood sugar levels intact.

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Posted in Disabilities Children

Tags: insulin resistance preventing diabetes Type weight

First Signs Of Diabetes In Children

December 5th, 2011 by admin No comments »

The onset of first signs of diabetes in children is not like their occurrence in adults. The onsets of these first signs of diabetes also vary with the age. These diabetic symptoms occur even quicker in case of infants. If infants and children are suffering from diabetes type 1 then it means that beta cells have been destroyed by the pancreas. It has been seen that children are more easily affected by ketoacidosis.

The kids who suffer from type 2 diabetes are generally obese or overweight. There are some children who have a family history of diabetes. These kids have an increased tendency of showing the signs and symptoms of insulin resistance like dark patches on skin. This condition is medically termed acanthosis nigricans. The signs of diabetes type 1 are entirely different from signs of diabetes type 2. The diabetic symptoms also develop quickly and within a shorter time span. Kids who are suffering from diabetic symptoms show signs like

Unquenchable Thirst And Excessive Urination: Excessive accumulation of glucose in the blood stream compels the cells to extract excessive fluid from tissues. The increased fluid loss from tissues and vessels of blood cause the child to have a feeling of an unquenchable thirst. Kids drink plenty of water and as a result they have to rush to the restroom as well.

Increases Appetite And Extreme Hunger Even After Eating: The child may also demand for more food. If he is suffering from signs of diabetes he may complain that he is extremely hungry. The child may also tell you that his hunger is not being satisfied even after consuming plenty of food. The glucose of the food is not entering the cells and is staying in the blood stream; this not only disturbs the immunity system but at the same time results in an immense loss of energy. This energy shrinkage triggers hunger in children.

Unexplained Weight Loss: Parents can detect an unexplained and sudden weight loss in kids. This weight loss is the result of an insufficient energy supply to the body cells. The cells then have to extract energy from the fat storage. Excessive body weight loss compels the child to feel extremely tired as well as week. The result is a weaker immunity system which then further invites several infections.

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Posted in Diabetes in Children

Tags: child first signs of diabetes loss symptoms of insulin resistance

Type 2 Diabetes – Management of Diabetes in Children

December 5th, 2011 by admin No comments »

The management of Type 2 diabetes in children is almost the same as for adults, only with a few modifications. If your child is newly diagnosed, you may be wondering about the various treatment options and management for this kind of health problem.

Here is a helping hand with four important points:

1. Routine blood sugar monitoring: This is one of the most important managements for childhood diabetes. Depending on what type of anti-diabetic medication or management your child is currently receiving, his or her blood sugar may be monitored as frequently as three times a day, or as seldom as once a day, or maybe once each week. Regular testing of your child’s blood sugar is the only way to determine whether he/she has good control and is responding well to the prescribed medications.

But even if your child has regular blood sugar monitoring and is following a rigid eating schedule, the blood sugar can sometimes be uncontrolled without warning. As well as food intake, illnesses, stress, physical activity and exercise, and medications can affect your child’s blood sugar control.

2. Eating healthy foods: For better control of Type 2 diabetes, encourage your child to eat healthy foods at home. Have the proper foods and beverages available. It’s hard to drink sugar-free beverages when there is only sugary cola in the house. Healthy foods include vegetables, fruits and whole grains. A high fiber diet can help improve blood sugar levels as well as helping to keep weight normal.

Fast food restaurants have changed what we eat and how much we eat, as well as where we eat. Soda has replaced milk; ketchup and fries have replaced fruits and vegetables. Fast foods typically contain more saturated fat, more sugar or other sweeteners, and more salt than food prepared at home. Extra fat and sugar pile on the calories/kilograms.

3. Regular physical activity: Encourage your child to have his own physical activity/exercise routine. Regular exercise can improve the way his/her body utilizes sugar. And it can also help him/her decrease insulin resistance, the main pathophysiology for childhood Type 2 diabetes. However, remember physical activity may decrease your child’s blood sugar level (BSL) also. Therefore, it is important to check his/her blood sugar before doing any type of exercise. And if the BSL happens to be a little on the low side, give a snack before your son/daughter engages in any exercise routine or play.