Online CPR Certification Blog

Young adults are at a high risk of suffering from diabetes if they experience persistent obesity during their adolescence compared to people suffering from obesity during their adulthood. A team of researchers at Furman University in Greenville led by Natalie S.C undertook a study on 10, 481 young adults aged between 12 and 21 years of age. The cohort study was conducted on two occasions when the group was aged between 18 and 27 years of age and between 24 and 33 years. They assessed the relationship between the timing and duration of diabetes over the period with diabetes. According to their research findings, 4.4 percent of individuals aged between 24 and 33 years of age actually had diabetes while half of them had not been diagnosed with the condition. Also, the whites showed a lower diabetic prevalence compared to Hispanics and blacks.

After the current waist circumference, body mass index and age was accounted for, it was clear that women who experienced childhood obesity before they were 16 years old had a high likelihood of being diabetic during adulthood compared to women that became obese after 18 years of age.

Fast foods as the main cause of childhood obesity and diabetes

Doctors agree that the association between diabetes and childhood obesity is truly a new era. The problem didn’t exist, a couple of years ago and it is only of late that the issue has become of concern to the society. As a result, health providers, family members and the patients are finding themselves lost in their thoughts as they have no idea on how the situation can be handled. Cases of obesity and diabetes in children have become an epidemic, something blamed on the fact that most fast foods are mostly geared to children. This is not until recent when fast food restaurants are finding it important to make their menus healthier and minimize the risk of childhood obesity and diabetes.

How to deal with diabetes among children

Recent, a medical doctor diagnosed a 5 year child with the not so common Type 2 diabetes which has for long been known as a disease of the 40s. According to the medical physician, the child completely doesn’t understand what diabetes could be let alone its consequences. Diabetes is known to cause severe physical damage if it persists longer. It is essential that diabetic patients become educated on issues regarding good nutrition, disease knowledge, physical activity, likely complications and how to manage diabetes in order to avoid more physical damage. This can be achieved through undergoing frequent blood tests accompanied by use of appropriate medications. Unfortunately, this is just too much for any child to learn and comprehend and dealing with obesity and diabetes has become quite difficult. Parents must also stress on the importance of healthy eating among their children as well as staying active through regular exercises.