Obese children are FOUR times more at risk of diabetes
- Researchers analysed more than 300,000 children from 375 GP surgeries
- The condition increased from an average of six new cases per 100,000 children annually between 1994 and 1998, to 33 new incidences between 2009 and 2013
- Policymakers should invest in prevention campaigns to minimise a child’s risk
- No link was found between excess body weight and developing type 1 diabetes
Alexandra Thompson Health Reporter For Mailonline
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Obese children are at four times the risk of developing type 2 diabetes, new research warns.
The rate of children developing the condition in Britain is more than five time higher than it was 20 years ago.
As the nation’s obesity crisis worsens, the study showed fat youngsters are at a heightened risk of the deadly condition by the age of 25 compared to children with a body mass index (BMI) in the normal range.
Obese children are four times more likely to develop type 2 diabetes thanks to their poor diets
Researchers from King’s College London analysed health records from 375 GP surgeries.
They examined BMI measurements and diabetes diagnosis records from 369,362 children aged between two and 15 years old.
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Between 1994 and 2013, 645 children and teenagers were diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, according to the study published in the Journal of the Endocrine Society.
The condition increased from an average of six new cases per 100,000 children each year between 1994 and 1998, to 33 new cases per 100,000 youngsters annually between 2009 and 2013.
Diabetes is increasing in youngsters, yet the condition is preventable with a healthy lifestyle
Study author Dr Ali Abbasi, said: ‘As the prevalence of obesity and being overweight has rapidly risen, an increasing number of children and young adults have been diagnosed with diabetes in the UK since the early 1990s.
WHAT IS TYPE 2 DIABETES?
Type 2 diabetes occurs when the pancreas fails to produce enough insulin or respond to the hormone.
It is linked to being overweight or obese.
Symptoms occur as the body tries to rid excess insulin in the blood.
These include extreme thirst, weight loss, tiredness and urinating frequently.
Medication may be required to normalise blood glucose levels.
The condition can be prevented by eating well, maintaining a healthy weight and exercising regularly.
Source: NHS Choices
‘A child with obesity faces a four-fold greater risk of being diagnosed with diabetes by the age of 25, than their counterpart who is of normal weight.
‘Diabetes imposes a heavy burden on society as the condition is common and costly to treat.
‘Estimates indicate one in 11 adults has type 2 diabetes, equal to around 415 million people worldwide.
‘Given that diabetes and obesity are preventable from early life, our findings and other research will hopefully motivate the public and policymakers to invest and engage in diabetes prevention efforts.’
The researchers also found that 1,318 children were diagnosed with type 1 diabetes during the same period, but found no link to obesity.
This comes after researchers from Cleveland Clinic and New York University School of Medicine found obesity causes more deaths than smoking.
Obesity results in up to 47 per cent more life-years lost than tobacco, which had the same outcome as high blood pressure.
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