Childhood obesity is a growing epidemic in the United States; it affects more than 18 percent of children, making it the most common chronic childhood disease.The number of obese children has more than tripled since 1980, according to obesityaction.org.David Corder, owner of Perfect Fit Wellness Center in Peyton, said that childhood/youth obesity stems, in part, from a lack of movement, proper nutrition and having more tools to create a life where we move less. ìWe are a culture that likes to do things that are easier,î Corder said. ìWe are heating and reheating food and going out to eat, we donít cook at home anymore; and we actually lose weight in the kitchen,î he said.These modern-day habits are being passed on to the next generation, Corder said. ìWe are Ö not encouraging them to move; we give them things to keep them quiet and busy so we adults can do what we need to do,î Corder said.Instead of giving kids a phone or an iPad to keep them busy, Corder said adults need to encourage movement in their children. ìI want more familial participation and families working out together,î he said. There is no charge for anyone under age 16 to attend a workout class at Perfect Fit with a parent. ìI just had a family with an 8 and 9 year old come and participate in a yoga class with their mom and dad; and they loved it,î Corder said. ìThe two biggest points is we need to cook and eat real food and eat with the family, and we need to get away from the TV and video games and move to be healthy. And these take planning, preparation and effort.Type 1 diabetesA†SEARCH for Diabetes in Youth study, funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Institutes of Health, found that from 2002 to 2012 the rate of newly diagnosed cases of Type 1 diabetes in youth increased by about 1.8 percent each year. During that same period, the rate of newly diagnosed cases of Type 2 diabetes increased even more, at 4.8 percent, according to an article at nih.gov.Kelli Raleigh, outreach manager for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, said the foundation focuses on Type 1 diabetes. In 92 percent of people who have Type 1, the cause is related to an auto-immune response, not genetics, Raleigh said.She said Type 1 diabetes is becoming an epidemic along with Type 2. ìBy 2050, one in every 250 kids will have Type 1 diabetes; we arenít far from that statistic now as it (statistics) is one in 300,î Raleigh said. Reasons for the increase in Type 1 diabetes include diet and the overuse of antibiotics, which is creating more auto immune attacks on peopleís bodies, she said.ìChildren are going on the average to the doctor four times before getting an accurate Type 1 diagnosis, because the doctors are misdiagnosing them with Type 2. However, in the nation, of all the people who have diabetes, 95 percent have Type 2 and only 5 percent have Type 1,î Raleigh said.The JDRF is supporting a free screening for Colorado children, age 1 to 17 to detect childhood diabetes as well as celiac disease. Raleigh said they are finding that the two diseases often go hand in hand. Visit https://trialnet.org/ for free screening locations. More information on Type 1 diabetes can be found at http://jdrf.org/rockymountain or visit the Facebook page.According to The American Diabetes Association, Type 2 diabetes†is also on the rise; by the year 2050, one in three people will have diabetes. Children from certain ethnic groups are at higher risk: African American, Hispanic, Asian/Pacific Islander and Native American.Type 2 diabetesA Nov. 18 ADA Issues Position Statement on Comprehensive Care of Pediatric Patients with Type 2 diabetes (Evaluation and Management of Youth ó Onset type 2 diabetes) stated, ìResearch has indicated type 2 diabetes appears to be more aggressive in youth than in adults, with a faster rate of deterioration of β-cell function and poorer response to†glucose-lowering medications.îSilva Arslanian, MD, the lead author of the position statement, stated, ìFurthermore, there is a higher risk for complications in people with earlier-onset type 2 diabetes, which is possibly related to prolonged lifetime exposure to†hyperglycemia†and other atherogenic risk factors, including insulin resistance, dyslipidemia,†hypertension and†chronic†inflammation. Thus, we must continue to make strides in recognizing the specific needs of youth and adolescents who are at-risk or diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.î (http://diabetes.org)In a separate phone interview, Arslanian said some things can be modified and some things canít. ìWhat canít be modified are our genes, what we can modify is obesity, which is the loaded gun; obesity is the major risk factor for kids to develop Type 2 diabetes,î Arslanian said.ìIf we can get our kids to eat healthier and be more active, we can prevent Type 2 diabetes; in the U.S., normal weight kids do not get Type 2 diabetes,î she said. ìI had a patient diagnosed at age 13 with sleep apnea, high cholesterol; he was overweight and had Type 2 diabetes,î Arslanian said. ìHe lost 30 pounds; and, at age 16, has none of the above.îThe symptoms of Type 2 diabetes are sometimes hard to pinpoint as some kids are asymptomatic and display no symptoms at all. Many kids could be diagnosed only when they were screened for a fatty liver or given a glucose intolerance test, Arslanian said. On the other extreme, some kids get extremely sick, their bathroom trips have increased and they start to lose weight.ìOne problem with this is, for example, there was a 14-year-old who was overweight and started losing weight and was happy with this; so she didnít think it was a problem until the pattern became so disruptive,î Arslanian said. ìAnd then she went to the doctor and got diagnosed.î She said sometimes kids are diagnosed with candida infections because of such high sugars in the body or they have blurry vision from hypoglycemia; it is not always easy to diagnose Type 2 diabetes in kids. ìWe are not in epidemic proportions yet, but the projection for 2050 is that 84,000 kids will have Type 2 diabetes,î Arslanian said. ìWe are having 9-month old babies who are being diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes.îType 2 diabetes in youth is worse than adult Type 2 because they donít respond to the treatments as well and there is only one approved medication for kids, as opposed to several for adults. Arslanian said kids develop complications faster and deteriorate more quickly. Arslanianís advice to parents: ìDonít waste money dumping soda down your kids; eliminate chips, nachos, Doritos; and provide fresh veggies. Make them walk up and down the stairs, reduce screen time and be a good role model.ìI know how hard it is; we live in a toxic environment and food is everywhere. When my daughter was in elementary school, parents had to take turns bringing in treats; and my daughter said, ëMom please donít embarrass me by bringing vegetables,í and I said, ëI love you and thatís why I do what I do.íîAccording to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Resources and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, obesity impacts the military. The CDC reports that 71 percent of young people in the United States would not be able to join the military if they wanted to because 31 percent are overweight or obese; other factors included educational deficits and criminal or drug abuse records.In an online video, Ret. Lt. Gen. Mark Hertling discussed the problems associated with the diabetes epidemic in youth. ìOver the last decade, we have experienced increased difficulty in recruiting soldiers due to the decline in the health of our nationís youth. In 2009, when I was the commander of Initial Military Training, I found that a little over 75 percent of 17-to-24-year-old civilians who wanted to join the Army were not qualified to do so because they were obese. Of the 25 percent that did qualify to join the Army, 60 percent could not pass the PT test, which consists of one-minute of sit-ups, one minute of push-ups and a one mile run. Unless we see significant change in physical activity and nutrition in America, our national security will be affected.î For more discussion on the topic by Hertling, visit https://youtube.com/watch?v=sWN13pKVp9s Editorís note: According to the Associated Press Stylebook (the guide used by most newspapers), Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes is capitalized. However, the diabetes associations lower case ìtype.î Thus, the reason for the two different style usages.
