Despite popular belief, diabetes is NOT caused by eating too much sugar. In today’s media, diabetes is often portrayed in an inaccurate and harmful light. 

Developing diabetes can depend on your family history, ethnicity, genes, and other factors such as your environment or overall health. 

But what is diabetes?

Diabetes mellitus is a chronic condition that affects how your body uses glucose, the main type of sugar in your blood. Glucose comes from the foods we eat and is the major source of energy for our bodies.

When we eat, our bodies break down the foods we consume into glucose and other nutrients, which are then absorbed from our digestive system. After eating, our blood sugar levels rise, which triggers the release of insulin into our bloodstream to regulate it. 

But in people with diabetes, the body is either unable to produce insulin or is unable to respond to it properly. Over the years, unregulated high blood glucose levels can damage your heart, blood vessels, kidneys, eyes and even your nervous system!

The two types of diabetes are: 

• Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease that occurs when the body has trouble producing sufficient insulin. 

• Type 2 diabetes is much more common that type 1 and occurs when the body is not responding to insulin properly.

Both forms of diabetes can occur at any age, but type 1 diabetes is more often diagnosed in children. Getting type 1 diabetes can’t really be prevented, as it is thought to be due to genetic factors or the environment and is often triggered by the child being exposed to an infection, like a virus. 

On the other hand, type 2 diabetes can sometimes be prevented, as excessive weight gain, obesity and a sedentary lifestyle can all be risk factors.

Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease in which the immune system attacks the pancreas and destroys the cells that produce insulin. The body can’t use glucose (the body’s main type of sugar), which causes a build-up in the bloodstream. 

Type 1 diabetes can be diagnosed at any age, but it peaks at ages 5-6 and again at ages 11-13. 

Nobody knows for sure why some people get type 1 diabetes and some don’t. But some causes may include your genes or even your environment. Genes alone aren’t usually enough though and often kids were getting exposed to an infection, such as a virus, at the time of diagnosis.

Some of the first signs your child may have type 1 diabetes include:

• Frequent urination - infants & toddlers may have more wet diapers than usual and a child who was potty trained may start bedwetting again.

• Increased, intense thirst

• Increased appetite

• Unintentional weight loss

• Extreme drowsiness or lack of energy

• Irritability or behavior changes (acting “drunk”)

• Heavy breathing

• Fruity-smelling breath

• Sudden vision changes

Type 1 diabetes can come on gradually or all of a sudden and sometimes kids don’t have any diabetes symptoms and it’s discovered on a routine blood or urine test.

While it requires lifelong treatment, children with type 1 diabetes can lead normal lives if it’s kept under control. Usually, your doctor will come up with a diabetes care plan that’s individualized to each child and usually contain the following: 

• Taking insulin, either by injection or an insulin pump

• Checking blood sugar levels regularly

• Eating a healthy, balanced diet while monitoring carbohydrate intake

• Getting regular exercise

Once upon a time, type 2 diabetes was thought to affect mainly adults. But with childhood obesity on the rise, more children are being diagnosed at younger ages. 

Type 2 diabetes occurs when the body develops resistance to insulin or the pancreas stops producing enough insulin, causing blood sugar levels to rise. Symptoms are similar to those of type 1 diabetes (check out our previous post about it).  Additionally, dark skin around the necks and armpits (acanthosis nigracans) can be found in type 2 diabetes.

Risk factors for developing type 2 diabetes can include:

• Having a family member with the disease. It does tend to run in families. 

• Being overweight, particularly around the tummy.

• Sedentary lifestyle.

• Having low birth weight or being born to a mom with gestational diabetes.

• Being born prematurely. 

• Girls in the early teen age group are more likely to develop it than their male counterparts. 

• Ethnicity: African American, Hispanic, American Indian, and Asian American people develop it more often for unclear reasons. 

Kids with type 2 diabetes should focus on prioritizing a healthy diet & staying active to help reduce the need for medications & developing complications.

Encourage your kids to:

• Make healthy food choices - focus on fruits, vegetables, & whole grains.

• Become more active - Sign them up for sports/physical after-school activities that they enjoy.

• Make healthy habits like veggie dinner nights, daily walks, & cooking healthy recipes something everyone participates in as a shared family bonding experience! 

Remember, getting regular check-up’s is important! If you have any concerns, talk to your pediatrician!

Your PediPals