Unfortunately, there is a startling new face of type 2 diabetes: young people. While most children and young adults with diabetes have type 1, soaring obesity rates are making type 2 diabetes, a disease that used to be seen primarily in adults over age 45, more common among young people, particularly in American Indians, African Americans, and Hispanic/Latinos.According to data reported in 2006 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), one in 523 people younger than age 20 has diabetes1! The CDC explains that obesity, physical inactivity, and prenatal exposure to diabetes have become widespread, and may contribute to the increased development of type 2 diabetes during childhood and adolescence.
What is Diabetes? Diabetes is a disease that affects the body’s ability to produce or respond to insulin, a hormone that allows blood glucose (blood sugar) to enter the cells of the body and be used for energy. It results in too much glucose in the blood, a condition that slowly damages your eyes, heart, kidneys, nerves, legs, and feet. Diabetes is the fifth-deadliest disease in the United States, and it has no cure.
Are You at Risk for Diabetes?
- ð Are you overweight?
- ð Do you get little or no exercise?
- ð Do you have high blood pressure (130/80 or higher)?
- ð Do you have a brother or sister with diabetes?
- ð Do you have a parent with diabetes?
- ð Are you a woman who had diabetes when you were pregnant OR have you had a baby who weighed more than 9 pounds at birth?
- ð Are you African American, Native American, Hispanic, or Asian American/Pacific Islander?
If you answered yes to any of these questions, ask your medical provider if you need a diabetes test.
Although most people with diabetes do not notice any signs, here are some possible Warning Signs:
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ð Going to the bathroom a lot
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ð Feeling hungry or thirsty all the time
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ð Blurred vision
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ð Lose weight without trying
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ð Cuts/bruises that are slow to heal
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ð Feeling tired all the time
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ð Tingling/numbness in the hands or feet
1. National Institute of Health News. “Diabetes Rates Are Increasing Among Youth.” November 13th, 2007. <http://www.nih.gov/news/pr/nov2007/niddk-13.htm>.
