tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10445340.post-1144291713072159582006-04-05T21:05:00.000-05:002006-04-05T22:15:58.070-05:00Diabetes in children is rampant: will your child be next? One study released this week shows a dramatic increase in childhood obesity - the primary risk factor for this life-threatening disease - while another shows the consequences: The results of a study of prescription claims for millions of U.S. children ages 5 to 19 over the last four years showed a doubling in those taking medications used to treat or prevent Type 2 diabetes.<br /><br />Some 25 million American children are now overweight.<br /><br />The first study, the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, was <a href="http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/short/295/13/1549#relation_type_111">published </a>in the Journal of of the American Medical Association. It has tracked height and weight measurements of 3958 children ages 2 to 19 years over time.<br /><br />Children were considered overweight if their body mass index (BMI) was in the top 5% as defined by standard age/growth charts. (To calculate the BMI for your child, visit the National Institutes of Health's <a href="http://nhlbisupport.com/bmi/">BMI calculator</a>.)<br /><br />Overall, one third (33.6%) of children and teens, ages 2 to 19, were overweight or at risk of becoming so in 2004, up from 28.2% in 2000, according to a <a href="http://www.usatoday.com/printedition/news/20060405/1a_bottomstrip05.art.htm">summary </a> of the study published in USA Today.<br /><br />Type 2 diabetes, in which the body is unable to use insulin efficiently, is at an all-time high in children. Obesity is the primary cause. The highest risk age group: 10- to 14-year-olds where the prevalence of treatment grew 106% between 2002 and 2005. Ironically, type 2 diabetes has been labeled "adult onset diabetes" because until recently it didn't show up until later in life.<br /><br />The problem is very serious, health officials warn. According to a press release from the <a href="http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=69641&p=irol-newsArticle&amp;ID=838992&amp;highlight=">Express Scripts study</a>, "This trend is fueled by more sedentary lifestyles among children and the increased availability and intake of junk food, among multiple factors" (Express Scripts, a pharmacy benefit management company, funded this study).<br /><br />"The increase in Type 2 diabetes carries enormous health care risks," according Ed Weisbart, MD, Express Scripts chief medical officer. "Diabetes is known to shorten life expectancy by about a decade, on average. Diabetics are two to four times more likely to develop heart disease and stroke, 10 times more likely to require amputations, and are far more likely to suffer nervous system damage, blindness, kidney disease and complications with pregnancy."<br /><br />What can you do about it? Visit your pediatrician. Cut down on junk food and television watching and get your child involved in sports or other extracurricular activities. You can ensure the continuation of those activities by supporting physical education and sports programs in the schools and volunteering to help out with programs like T-ball or soccer. You can make a difference.38Kids Editorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04000850714803486969noreply@blogger.com