It’s natural for parents to protect their children from everything that may or may not harm them.
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But can you really prevent a child from getting type-2 diabetes?
Diabetes is a disease that affects how glucose is used in the body.
Glucose is the primary source of energy we need in order to optimally move and operate our cells and body.
However, human bodies need insulin to convert glucose into the actual energy our bodies need.
Type 2 diabetes is the condition that is now commonly occurring not just among adults, but within kids as well.
It’s when the pancreas can still produce insulin, however, the body doesn’t respond to it efficiently enough.
Because the sugar in the body can’t be converted to energy, this causes the blood sugar to spike, leading to further health complications down the road for kids and adults.
Let’s get things cleared out.
Unlike Type 1 Diabetes, Type 2 Diabetes can be prevented. Living a sedentary lifestyle, and making poor food choices are all major factors of type 2 diabetes among children.
With the kind of lifestyle people live in nowadays, it’s really easy to neglect proper nutrition thereby causing children to get sick with this illness.
Long ago, it is known that only adults could get sick with Diabetes Mellitus but today, there is an increasing number of children who are at risk of this illness.
Another factor for diabetes is ethnicity. Ethnic and racial groups of Hispanic, African, Native American and Asian descent are prone to more easily get diabetes.
And yes, kids and teens can prevent the onset of diabetes by simply taking care of their health, but when kids have one to two family members with this illness, they are also more at risk of developing the disease as it can be genetic.
Taking steps in preventing diabetes among children should be every parent’s priority.
With all the accessible unhealthy meals sold today – fast food, junk food, saturated fats, children can get sick without you even noticing it.
Here are simple strategies that can help your child stay safe:
1. Feed Them Healthy Foods
Encourage them to eat nutrient-dese food such as oatmeal, cereals, fruits and vegetables.
Lean towards protein that doesn’t contain a lot of fat like chicken and turkey.
Introduce foods that are rich in antioxidants to prevent oxidative damage brought about certain toxins we usually get from the air we breathe and the food we eat.
2. Limit Their Treats
Kids will be kids and they will always have an avid love for anything sugary.
Train them not to drink soda and juice concentrates by educating them that water is the only liquid they really need.
3. Encourage Sports
If they want to join the volleyball team or play soccer, allow them to do so.
If they are not interested in sports, encourage them to move around rather than staying at home to watch TV.
Going to the beach is better that playing video games in their room.
If you are taking your child to his/her pediatrician, you can be assured that your child is already one step away from diabetes.
If you’re still on the edge about it, you can also bring your child to a registered dietitian to help you determine the weight goals your child should be aiming for.
Growing kids need a lot of calories and nutrients to develop properly.
But giving them too much of everything can bring about negative effects to their health and development.
If you think your child’s appetite can get out of control, learn to say no and educate them about the pros and cons of eating too much.
