Importance of Weight Loss in Type 2 Diabetes

Importance of Weight Loss in Children with Type 2 Diabetes

Kids and teens diagnosed with type 2 diabetes have a similar experience to adults. Most children who are diagnosed with the condition are overweight.

Emotional support from parents is essential for helping children getting to a healthy weight. Overweight children can have low self-esteem and even feel guilty. Focusing on the positive and talking about how to be healthy will help. It is important to help your child understand that all people, diabetic and non-diabetic, thin or obese, need to manage their health and lifestyle choices. Kids are likely to pick up on parental attitudes and actions about eating habits. By buying healthy foods and cooking nutritious, you can teach your child how to achieve healthy goals from an early age.

Children with type 2 diabetes can experience certain problems when it comes to maintaining a healthy weight that adults typically do not. For example:

• Sneaking snacks –Children may sneak sugary snacks they are only supposed to have in moderation. This can raise the child’s blood sugar level without the parent knowing why, and the parent will typically give higher doses of insulin as a response. This cycle can lead to weight gain. Thus, make sure your child understands why they must stick to their meal plan.
• Extreme dieting – Older children, especially teens, may try to lose weight through fad diets or other unhealthy measures. These measures are not suitable in general, but even worse for diabetes patients because of how badly they affect blood sugar levels.
• Skipping insulin – Teens have sometimes skipped insulin injections to lose weight. This is a dangerous tactic, as it can lead to extremely high blood sugar and even diabetic ketoacidosis.
• Over snacking – Some kids eat too many snacks because they or their parents are concerned about hypoglycemia. Keep track of the snacks you have at home and how quickly they are eaten.

The benefits of exercise not only help adults with diabetes, but children too. Parents may worry that too much exercise will affect their child’s blood sugar levels, but there is no need to limit physical activity. Your child’s diabetes healthcare team can help ease your worry and form a plan to avoid low blood sugar. Kids who reach and maintain a healthy weight feel better and find their diabetes management is easier. It helps give the kids a sense of control over their diabetes, bodies, and health.

Therefore, with a combination of lifestyle changes like weight loss, exercise, and diet modifications, up to ninety percent of type 2 diabetics, both children and adults, can reach remission.