Why U.S. Kids Are Getting Diabetes
The childhood obesity rate has more than tripled over the past four decades.
News in Health from NIH tells us that the rates for new cases of both type 1 and type 2 diabetes in children and teens are rising. For type 1 diabetes, the rate rose more in males. For type 2 diabetes, the rate increased more in females.
KidsData.org reports that overweight and obese children are at higher risk for a range of health problems, including heart disease, stroke, asthma, and some types of cancer; they also are more likely to stay overweight
or obese as adults.
Many factors contribute to childhood obesity and being overweight. The rise has been attributed to changes in food environments that make non-nutritious “junk” food and beverages more available, affordable, and appealing; as well as social and environmental changes that have reduced physical activity among children, e.g., increased sedentary time with TV and computer use, less physical education, neighborhoods that do not promote walking or riding bikes, and decreased safe places for children to play, among other factors.
