Type 2 Diabetes in youth: Epidemic-bell ringing
Obese kids with unhealthy lifestyle and food habit are more prone to diabetes.
Type 2 diabetes is no more a disease of our parents or grandparents. It has now been emerging as a new epidemic affecting more and more young people in their 20s and 30s, whereas earlier it used to be in the late 40s or 50s. Although diabetes is grossly under-diagnosed and incidental findings in young people, as much as 30 percent of new cases of diabetes have been reported in the second decade of life. Furthermore, young people who develop type 2 diabetes face more aggressive complications than that of older adults. Experts call for a campaign targeting young people to prevent or delay the onset of diabetes. Like the elderly, type 2 diabetes in young adults is due to a combination of body's insensitivity to insulin (a hormone that reduces blood sugar) and/or inadequate insulin secretion from pancreas where it is produced. There are a number of genetic and environmental risk factors behind the increasing incidence of diabetes in young generation. As children's health grows along with their waistlines, increasing prevalence of childhood obesity is thought to be the most significant fuel for exploding diabetes in youth. Positive family history is another important factor particularly alarming in World Health Orgranisation's (WHO) South-East Asia region that includes Bangladesh. Other factors including ethnicity, sedentary behaviour, puberty, low birth weight, exposure to diabetes in the womb and female gender also play significant role in rising incidence. Despite this increasing incidence and prevalence, little is being done to aware the youth to prevent or delay onset of diabetes in youth. Experts say that the rising trend of diabetes in youth can be halted by addressing the epidemic of childhood obesity properly. Obesity seems to precede type 2 diabetes and may provoke diabetes in genetically susceptible individuals. Weight reduction, healthy diet and increase physical activity level are keys to fight diabetes. Young adult who have the aforementioned risk factors should be alert and take preventive measures and undergo screening after consulting with a doctor. Although being diagnosed with diabetes at earlier age may be a psychological trauma, people should not ignore the management plan for diabetes as the long-term complications of uncontrolled diabetes — e.g. cardiovascular problems like high blood pressure, high cholesterol and stroke, nerve damage, blindness and kidney failure — are more likely to occur at younger ages too. We are in the midst of an epidemic. The rapidly emerging health problem of type 2 diabetes in young indicates a strong need for prevention interventions designed according to individual country context. Diabetes impinges huge economic loss to our nation. When it affects earlier it can devastate lives of the youth and ultimately can reduce the productivity of our young generation. Every individual should play a role to put an end to the rise and manage this devastating disease in youth.
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