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| Vol. 22, No. 2 |
| January 15, 2000 |
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More Children are Falling Victim to Diabetes Lauren Trinkhaus is like most other youngsters. She likes tennis and socializing with other kids her age. But unlike many of her friends, Lauren must check her blood sugar level four times a day because she has diabetes. "You have to eat different stuff like carbohydrates and you have to take insulin shots," she comments. "But the shots don't really hurt very much." Lauren has Type 1 diabetes which occurs when the body does not produce insulin, a hormone that allows blood sugar to enter the cells of the body and be used for energy. To control Type 1 diabetes, insulin must be regularly injected. Type 2 diabetes occurs when the body does not effectively use or produce enough insulin and can often be controlled with diet and exercise. Most diabetics have Type 2 diabetes; only 5 to 10 percent of diabetics have Type 1. Diabetes is often silent and can be deadly. Of about 1.6 million Texans - 12 percent of the population - who have diabetes, 680,000 have the disease and don't know it. Diabetes was the sixth leading cause of death in Texas and contributed to the deaths of at least 12,299 Texans in 1996. In recent years, doctors have noted an alarming trend. As more youngsters have become less physically active and gained weight, the number of children with Type 2 diabetes has increased. Type 2 is linked to obesity and usually occurs in those age 45 and older, but a study of schoolchildren in Cincinnati showed that over a 12-year period, the number of children who had Type 2 increased by 12 percent. Most children developed diabetes between the ages of 10 and 14, researchers say. Other studies have found similar trends in other cities. Overweight youngsters are more likely to develop Type 2 diabetes, and doctors are concerned about the increase in the number of children with weight problems over the past two decades. "Only about 4 percent of the kids back in the late `60s and early `70's were considered obese," says Dr. Phil Huang, chief of the Texas Department of Health's Bureau of Disease and Injury Prevention. "Some studies now show that it's up to 10 percent. More kids watch more television, sit in front of the computer and eat more fast food." This lack of physical activity and poor diet play a big role in causing preventable illnesses such as diabetes. Exercising regularly, eating healthy meals and maintaining a healthy body weight go a long way in preventing a host of major diseases. Diabetes can lead to severely debilitating or fatal complications, such as blindness, kidney and heart disease, stroke and amputations of toes or other parts of the feet or legs. But with proper care and medication, diabetes can be managed. Getting an early and correct diagnosis is key in preventing severe complications or even death. If you are extremely thirsty, urinate frequently or have unexplained weight loss, call your doctor for a diabetes checkup. Those who may be at risk for diabetes may have some or all of these risk factors:
Regular checkups, physical activity, a healthy diet and controlled blood sugar levels can help prevent or delay complications from diabetes. If you have diabetes, keys to controlling the disease and staying healthy include:
If you have diabetes, one other simple precaution can save your life: get a flu shot. People with diabetes are six times more likely to go to the hospital with the flu and almost three times more likely to die from influenza or pneumonia. - Texas Department of Health
©2006 Texas Medical Center E-Mail: tmc-info@tmc.edu URL: http://www.tmc.edu/tmcnews/01_15_00/page_07.html |