Information on Type 2 Diabetes

As Americans in every age group have gotten heavier and less active, diabetes has become a family affair. In some families, grandparents, parents, children, and grandchildren all are being diagnosed with diabetes. With about 15 percent of teens now overweight—nearly three times as many as 20 years ago—health-care providers are finding type 2 diabetes, a disease formerly seen mainly in people over age 45, in more and more young people.

What happens if your child is diagnosed with type 2 diabetes? Diabetes can be controlled and young people can live a healthy life, but they must take charge and adopt a healthier lifestyle.

What is diabetes?
Diabetes is a disease in which blood glucose (sugar) levels are above normal. People with diabetes have problems converting food into energy. After a meal, food is broken down into a sugar called glucose, which is carried by the blood to cells throughout the body. Cells use insulin, a hormone made in the pancreas, to help them convert blood glucose into energy. People with diabetes have blood glucose levels that are too high due to an absence of insulin, not enough insulin, or resistance to insulin's effects.

There are two main types of diabetes: type 1 and type 2. Type 1 diabetes, which used to be called juvenile diabetes, is an immune disease that destroys the cells in the pancreas that produce insulin. People with type 1 diabetes must get insulin by injection or a pump to live.

In type 2 diabetes, which used to be called adult-onset diabetes, the pancreas still makes some insulin, but the body is unable to use it very well. Children most at risk for type 2 diabetes are overweight, inactive, and going through puberty, and have a family member with the disease. Type 2 diabetes also is more common in African-Americans, American Indians, Hispanics, and Asian- and Pacific Islander-Americans.

Type 2 diabetes develops slowly in some children, but quickly in others. Some children or teens with type 2 diabetes may show no symptoms at all when they are diagnosed. For that reason, parents and caregivers should talk with their health-care providers about testing children or teens at high risk for the disease.

Taking care of diabetes is important. If not treated, diabetes can lead to serious problems affecting the eyes, kidneys, nerves, gums, teeth, and blood vessels. Diabetes is the leading cause of adult blindness, lower-limb amputations, and kidney failure. It can cause heart disease, strokes, and even death if untreated. Some of these problems can occur in teens and young adults who develop diabetes during childhood. Research in adults shows that these problems can be greatly reduced or delayed by keeping blood glucose levels near normal.

Helping children manage diabetes
The key to managing diabetes is to keep blood glucose levels close to normal. Ask your health-care provider what your child's blood glucose targets should be before and after meals.

To help children control their blood glucose levels, health-care providers often prepare a diabetes management plan together with the child and the family. An effective plan shows how to eat the right foods in the right amounts, how to get regular physical activity, how to check blood glucose levels, and how to take either insulin by injection or oral medication as prescribed.

Children with type 2 diabetes and their families need to learn how different foods—especially carbohydrates such as bread, pasta, and rice—can affect blood glucose levels. Family support to follow the meal plan and eat meals on time is key to success, especially if the child is taking insulin.

Another way families can be supportive of a child with type 2 diabetes is by regularly engaging in physical activity, which is essential in lowering blood glucose levels, controlling weight, and reducing stress. It's also a good way for families to spend time together—going for a walk, shooting hoops, or taking a bike ride.

Tip sheets are available from the National Diabetes Education Program. The Tips for Children with Type 2 Diabetes series provides young people and their families with lots of practical ideas on eating healthy, staying active, and maintaining a healthy weight.

Helping children deal with diabetes
Diabetes presents special challenges for children and teens. Simple things such as going to a birthday party or staying overnight with friends need careful planning. While children with diabetes can eat almost all foods, parties often include foods high in carbohydrates and fats. Parents may need to talk with their children about how to follow their diabetes management plan in special situations.

Young people with type 2 diabetes who are taking insulin may need to give themselves shots and check their blood glucose levels during the school day. Teachers, administrators, coaches, lunchroom personnel, security personnel, bus drivers, and other school staff need to be educated about diabetes and informed if a student has a medical illness. Parents should provide the school nurse with the child's diabetes management plan and insulin and needles for use at school.

Learning to cope with diabetes is a big job at any age. Parents and children can get help by sharing their concerns with physicians, diabetes educators, dietitians, and other health-care providers. Parents and teachers can help students with diabetes by enlisting the guidance counselor or school psychologist as part of the school health team. Local peer groups for children and teens with diabetes can provide positive role models, support, and group activities.