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April 20, 2005
Obese Children Develop Type 2 Diabetes
A stunning report reveals that overweight children are developing Type 2 diabetes, commonly referred to as "adult onset". Type 2 diabetes has traditionally affected adults over 40, but soaring rates of childhood obesity have led to rising numbers of children with the condition in recent years.
London children as young as nine are being diagnosed with an adult form of diabetes, researchers said today.All but one of the children in the study came from a black or minority group, who are five times more likely to develop Type 2 diabetes. The Scotsman reports:The number of under-16s now developing Type 2 diabetes, which is caused by obesity, has rocketed to "shocking" levels, doctors told a conference.
They warned that the issue is a "timebomb waiting to explode", and said it threatens to overwhelm NHS services
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Dr Jeremy Allgrove, consultant in paediatric diabetes at the East London Centre for Paediatric and Adolescent Diabetes, said: "Ten years ago we did not see Type 2 diabetes in children under 16 but it is now increasingly becoming a part of paediatric practice.
Posted by Diabetologica at April 20, 2005 7:38 AM