Diabetes in Children is on the Rise

Diabetes is a disease caused by the way the body metabolizes sugar. The disease can be controlled by medication and modifications to one's'sdiet. What is alarming however, are the increasing number of cases of diabetes among teenagers and children. With the surge in obesity and overweight children, it should come as no surprise that diabetes is also growing in proportion. Children are less active than the [...]Diabetes is a disease caused by the way the body metabolizes sugar. The disease can be controlled by medication and modifications to one's'sdiet. What is alarming however, are the increasing number of cases of diabetes among teenagers and children. With the surge in obesity and overweight children, it should come as no surprise that diabetes is also growing in proportion. Children are less active than they have been in the past, and this is leading to health problems. Inactivity leads to Obesity Being overweight doesn't help. The extra burden those extra pounds put on your body weaken its response and ability to handle stress. And this kind of stress increases manifold, especially when your body is still growing, and is yet to achieve full size. Children are spending less time outdoors and more time indoors, on their computers. This sedentary lifestyle coupled with poor eating habits cause children to put on weight. Their bodies cannot metabolize the excessive amounts of sugar and fat being pumped into their systems. The result is Diabetes. This is a simplified version of what happens although the actual process is more complicated. Eating the wrong foods In today's fast paced world, more and more families rely on easy to cook, processed foods that have a high fat and sugar content. In the past, our diets contained wholesome and nutritious foods like fresh fruits and vegetables. The body is like a muscle that can adapt to stressors that is placed upon it, but when there is a constant barrage of bad foods, the liver and the pancreas just can't process it quickly. This leads to a dysfunction in the overall process, and can then lead to damage to the organ itself. Children learn from their environment And while it's easy to blame the child for the health problems and poor food choices, there is a lot to be said for the family that surrounds them. If the children are predisposed to an environment that doesn't support healthy living, then there is a greater tendency for diabetes and other health problems. It needs to be a team effort for the entire family to commit to in order to avoid diabetes and other problems associated with poor health habits. Healthy CAN be exciting! Working out is great when everyone in the family does it together. And if you get every single person at home working on finding new ways to prepare nutritious, healthy and mouth-watering meals, you will be surprised at how enthused they get, they'lwill want to contribute to their health! Information on Diabetes

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