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Type 2 diabetes is increasing among children worldwide
Obesity rates are continuing to rise among both adults and children worldwide.
As obesity is a risk factor for development of a variety of complications, including type 2 diabetes,
a high frequency in the rates of such obesity-associated diseases has been seen among adults.
A review article in the May 2005 issue of The Journal of Pediatrics reports that the rate of
type 2 diabetes among children worldwide appears to have increased significantly over the
last 15 years as well. For example, 80% of new cases of pediatric diabetes in Japan and 70%
of new cases among Native Americans are classified as type 2 diabetes.
Poor nutrition, weight gain, and lack of exercise reduce the action of insulin. Because the body
needs insulin to transform sugar into energy, the body compensates initially this deficiency
by increasing insulin production. Day by day, the ability of the pancreas to increase production
doesn't keep up and blood sugar begins to rise, leading eventually to type 2 diabetes.
This review emphasizes that obesity-related illness is rapidly becoming a global problem. The occurrence
of these disorders among adolescents and children emphasizes the degree to which lifestyles have
deteriorated and the urgent need to begin to develop strategies to reverse these changes.
The authors cite higher percentages in areas such as New York, Taiwan, New Zealand, and Canada.
NOTE: The Information on this site is provided for information only,
and is not meant to substitute for the advice of your own physician or other medical professional.
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