Diabetes is no longer a disease that occurs only with aging, its risk is being seen in people of all ages. Statistics show that young people under the age of 30 and even small children are falling prey to this serious disease. This disease of increasing blood sugar can increase many types of problems in the body, not only this, but diabetes patients also have a higher risk of heart-kidney diseases. This is why all people need to be careful about type-2 diabetes and keep taking preventive measures.
Health experts are very concerned about this increasing disease in children. In the year 2021, about 41,600 new cases of type-2 diabetes were reported in children and adolescents worldwide. The highest number of cases were reported in China, India, and the United States.
Doctors say that diabetes affects the quality of life and can have many side effects. There are many reasons why the risk of diabetes is increasing in children, due to which all parents need to be alert.
Risk of diabetes in children
Type-2 diabetes is more common in adults, but due to obesity and an inactive lifestyle, cases of this disease are increasing in children. Efforts are necessary to manage or prevent type 2 diabetes in your child.
Encourage the child to maintain weight control by consuming a healthy diet, doing physical activity, and exercising. Diabetes in children has a direct impact on their physical and mental development. Let us know the reasons why this risk increases.
The problem of type-1 diabetes
A major cause of diabetes in children is genetics. If any of the parents or any family member has diabetes, then the risk of it increases in children as well. Usually, cases of type-1 diabetes are seen more in children, which is mainly an autoimmune disease. However, now the risk of type-2 has also increased.
Type-1 diabetes is an autoimmune condition in which the body's immune system mistakenly attacks insulin-producing cells. Its exact cause is not fully known, but it is believed that genetics as well as environmental conditions can increase the risk.
Obesity is a major risk.
Obesity is a major cause of type-2 diabetes in children. Excess weight hinders the body's cells from using insulin properly, leading to the development of insulin resistance. Obesity is attributed to an unhealthy diet, lack of physical activity, and consumption of high-calorie foods. The worrying thing is that the number of children suffering from obesity has increased in India, due to which the risk of diabetes has also increased.
Lifestyle and diet problems
Children spending most of their time in front of screens like TV-mobile makes them physically inactive. Due to this, the body's ability to burn calories gets affected and weight starts increasing. It is also a major cause of problems like type-2 diabetes, and blood pressure at an early age.
Apart from this, excessive consumption of fast food, sweet beverages, and snacks also increases the risk of obesity and diabetes in children. Diets rich in carbohydrates and sugar cause insulin resistance and obesity, which can have many long-term damages.
(PC: ISTOCK)
