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Type 2 Diabetes Caused by Childhood Obesity

Anyone who is overweight or obese, including children, is at risk for developing type 2 diabetes. As of 2009, twenty-three million children and adolescents are overweight, meaning that 1 out of every 3 children had a higher than average BMI.

  1. Incidence

    • Type 2 diabetes was formerly referred to as adult-onset diabetes, but this term is no longer accurate as the incidence of this type of diabetes has increased in children over the past 20 years.

    Detection

    • Type 2 diabetes in children can often go undiagnosed because of the lack of symptoms and because blood tests to detect the disease are still uncommon for children.

    Race/Ethnicity

    • African American and Latino children are more likely to be obese and American Indian children have a higher prevalence of type 2 diabetes than Caucasian children.

    Adulthood

    • Adolescents who are overweight are also likely to be overweight or obese as adults. This increases their risk of developing type 2 diabetes with age.

    Prevention

    • Physical activity and a healthy diet reduce both the risk of becoming overweight and the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. In fact, engaging in those preventive measures is more effective than medication alone, according to the Diabetes Prevention Program study.

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