Type 2 diabetes used to be seen as an adult only condition in middle age – but latest figures show it now affects more than 600 children in England and Wales.
That’s a rise of 14% in one year according to figures compiled by the Local Government Association.
One diabetes charity has called the statistics “extremely worrying”.
Type 2 Diabetes
Not every case of type 2 diabetes is due to lifestyle, but risk factors include being overweight or obese, unhealthy eating and not doing enough exercise.
The LGA says that in 2015/16 the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health reported 621 children and young people under 25 were seen for type 2 diabetes in paediatric diabetes units.
Of these patients, nearly 8 out of 10 were obese and 15 of the children were aged between 5 and 9 years old.
Overall, children from black, Asian and minority ethnic groups were more likely to be affected
The LGA says there could be more cases seen by GPs rather than specialist diabetes clinics and services.
The National Child Measurement Programme has found 9.3% of children in reception classes and 19.8% of those in Year 6 were obese in 2015/16.
‘Public Health Time Bomb’
Councillor Izzi Seccombe, chair of the LGA’s Community Wellbeing Board, says in a statement: “These figures show a hugely disturbing trend in the increasing number of children and teenagers being treated in paediatric diabetes units for type 2 diabetes, a condition normally only associated with adults.
” Obesity is usually linked with major health conditions later on in life, but already we are seeing the devastating consequences at an early age.”
She continues: “This highlights the need to take urgent action on this major public health time bomb.”
‘Decisive Action’ Needed
Reacting to the figures in a statement, Libby Dowling, senior clinical advisor for Diabetes UK, says: “It is extremely worrying that more young people are diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, especially as we know that for nearly 80% obesity is the likely cause for developing the condition. Type 2 diabetes can lead to devastating complications in adults, like heart disease, kidney failure and blindness and it seems to be even more aggressive in children, who develop high blood pressure and high cholesterol even quicker. Not only that, but the diagnosis can have a big impact on a child’s psychological health.
“Some of the risk factors for type 2 diabetes are out of our control, but we can do something about being overweight or obese which is one of the most significant risk factors. It’s shocking that children are having to struggle with a condition that could have been prevented. The government needs to take decisive action to make the healthy choice the easy choice, including stronger regulation on junk food marketing to children and supporting the reformulation of foods to reduce sugar and saturated fat.”
SOURCES:
Local Government Association
Diabetes UK
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