November 14 this year marks the first-ever UN World Diabetes Day, with the theme "Diabetes and Children and Adolescents." When people mention diabetes, they usually associate it with the elderly, but in recent years, even a few-year-old children have developed the disease. Experts believe that unhealthy diets, such as Western fast food and carbonated drinks, have become one of the main causes of diabetes in children.
Junjun loves to eat Western fast food the most. Although he is only 13 years old this year, his weight has reached
70 kilograms. With a "general's belly," he looks quite well-nourished, but he is actually part of the "diabetes group."
Nowadays, many young mothers are afraid that their "treasures" will be "hungry," so they often give their children "late-night snacks." Coupled with many children's special fondness for "KFC" and "McDonald's," they hold "french fries" and "Coca-Cola" all day long, and often replace extracurricular exercise with watching TV and playing video games. Their weight increases very quickly, and they become "chubby kids" at a young age, which easily leads to high blood sugar and, consequently, diabetes.
Doctors explain that type 2 diabetes in children is often very insidious, and early symptoms such as frequent drinking, eating, and urination, as well as weight loss, are rare. Many people see that a child can eat a lot and is chubby, and think they are very healthy, which can easily lead to a delayed diagnosis.
A survey of 15,928 children aged 3-6 in the city by the City Women and Children's Health Care Center found that obese children accounted for 5.6% of the total surveyed. Moreover, the obesity rate increases with age, becoming significantly more common after 5 years old, and peaks in the 6-7 age group, nearly four times that of the 3-year-old group. Blood biochemical tests on these obese children revealed that obese children in the city's 3-6 age group are more prone to chronic adult diseases—type 2 diabetes. This disease shows three characteristics: it is higher in obese children than in normal-weight children, higher in obese girls than in obese boys, and higher in older obese children than in younger obese children.
Di Fusheng, an expert in the metabolic diseases department of the Third Central Hospital, pointed out that children now love to eat sweet, fried, and high-calorie foods, and they get little exercise. When the function of their pancreas weakens, they can develop diabetes. To prevent diabetes, one should follow the "four a little more": know a little more—parents should know more about the knowledge, risks, and prevention measures of diabetes; if they find their child has extreme thirst, excessive eating, and weight loss, they should seek medical attention immediately; eat a little less—children should eat less high-sugar or too greasy food, avoid overeating, and children should normally choose foods with appropriate protein and high fiber (vegetables); parents can store some green foods at home, such as walnuts, and often cook congee for their children; move a little more—parents should often take their children for exercise to control their weight from becoming too heavy; relax a little more—a good mindset has a positive effect on the prevention and treatment of diabetes; various psychological imbalances can increase insulin resistance and promote the onset of diabetes.