Title: Type 2 Diabetes in Children and Young Adults: A “New Epidemic” | Clinical Diabetes
Headings: Type 2 Diabetes in Children and Young Adults: A “New Epidemic”
Type 2 Diabetes in Children and Young Adults: A “New Epidemic”
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Content: These need to be rigorously investigated. The National Institutes of Health has recently funded a multi-center consortium to determine the outcomes of different treatment regimens on glycemic control, b-cell preservation, and comorbidities. There is an opportunity to attempt to prevent type 2 diabetes in youth by addressing the epidemic of childhood obesity. Presently, up to 15–20% of America’s teens 12–18 years of age are overweight. This comes to more than 5 million children. In addition to weight, activity level is also important. Diabetes occurs in children and teens who are inactive. With the sharp rise in computer games and TV-watching and the trend toward abandoning physical education in schools, fewer children are participating in sports. This increase in sedentary lifestyle has contributed to the type 2 diabetes epidemic. There is no doubt that the emergence of this epidemic in children and young adults is a major public health problem.