…States Dr. S. Ezhilarasi, MBBS., DNB (Paediatrics), consultant Paediatrician at Hande Hospital, who is back after a trip to the UK.

In India the incidence of diabetes among young people is rising. The good news is that it can now be controlled with great precision and effectiveness. Young adults who are more likely to have chronic conditions like diabetes also have a higher risk of developing cardiovascular conditions. Most youngsters with diabetes in India have type 1 diabetes, but the proportion of those diagnosed with type 2 diabetes is increasing of late.

While type 2 diabetes is caused by insulin resistance, type 1 diabetes is caused by an autoimmune condition in which children are dependent on insulin for treatment.

The symptoms are – excessive thirst, urinary frequency (possibly bed wetting), extreme hunger (abnormal eating patterns), unintentional loss of weight, fatigue, irritability, breath that smells like fruit and urinary tract infection.

At the outset, children who are experiencing any symptoms that are troubling should have a screening test done. It should be remembered that many individuals with diabetes may have no symptoms at all, especially if they have type 2 diabetes. Late diagnosis is a major obstacle to treating young diabetes. Poor management of diabetes care, especially in children or young adults, accelerates disease progression and increases health risk.

While there is little one can do at present to prevent type 1 diabetes, the situation is different for type 2 diabetes. The main factors that contribute to type 2 diabetes are obesity and overweight. In India, childhood obesity is now widespread. An imbalance between the amount of energy expended and the number of calories consumed is the main factor in childhood obesity. Obesity in children has serious side effects.

Simple and effective methods for preventing obesity and type 2 diabetes includes eating more vegetables, reducing TV and other screen time, encouraging and facilitating regular physical activity.

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