Type 2 Diabetes and Childhood Obesity

When you hear the word diabetes, you probably have a picture that comes to mind. You most likely envision an older person, someone that has a daily routine that includes insulin shots. The reality is that today Type 2 diabetes is not just an adult disease.

The number of children and adolescents diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes has dramatically increased.

One does not need to look too far to find answers. Being overweight or obese is closely linked to Type 2 diabetes. Today's sedentary lifestyle, coupled with a high-fat diet, is one of the major reasons we are seeing the dramatic increase.

The only goods news is that we can, for the most part, avoid problems.

The Journal of Physical Education and Recreation in April 2007 reported:"Practicing healthy lifestyles that include increasing physical activity levels, maintaining desirable body weight, and choosing low-fat diets can significantly lower the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. There is strong evidence that type 2 diabetes can be prevented by an increase in physical activity even in high-risk diabetic individuals. The Diabetes Prevention Program had more than 3,000 high-risk non-diabetic individuals randomly assigned to following three groups: (a) exercise, (b) drug, and (c) control. The exercise group performed at least 150 minutes per week of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise. The drug groups took 860 mg of Metformin (a suppressor of glucose production) twice daily. The control group did not receive any treatment. The research was a longitudinal study lasting more than two years. The exercise and the drug groups were found to have a 58 percent and 31 percent lower incidence of diabetes, respectively, than the control group. Regular exercise has a long-lasting effect on improved insulin sensitivity in type 2 diabetes, and some benefits can appear even after comparatively short periods of regular exercise. Additional benefits of exercise include a better control of blood pressure, a decline in the LDL level (the bad cholesterol), and a facilitation of weight management and general well-being.

If we want to impact this potentially devastating disease in children we need to help families make physical activity a part of the daily routine. Something as simple as a walk after dinner with the family can be the beginning of a whole new pattern for an active life.

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