Type 2 Diabetes and Our Children

The diagnosis of type 2 diabetes is becoming increasingly common in U.S. kids and teens, especially in those who are overweight. Some studies report that between 8% and 45% of children who've been newly diagnosed with diabetes have the form known as type 2.

Diabetes is a disease that affects how the body uses glucose, the simplest type of sugar in the body, and one of its main energy sources. Our bodies break down the foods we eat into glucose and other nutrients needed to fuel bodily functions, which are then absorbed into the bloodstream from the gastrointestinal tract. The glucose level in the blood rises after a meal and triggers the pancreas to make the hormone insulin and release it into the bloodstream. But in people with diabetes, the body either can't make or respond to insulin properly. As a result, the level of sugar in the blood remains higher than normal. High blood sugar levels are a problem because they can cause a number of symptoms and health problems.

The two types of diabetes are type 1 and type 2. Both cause blood sugar levels to become higher than normal but do so in different ways.

Type 1 diabetes (formerly called insulin-dependent diabetes or juvenile diabetes) occurs when the immune system attacks and destroys the cells of the pancreas that produce insulin. Kids with type 1 diabetes need insulin to help keep their blood sugar levels within a normal range.

Type 2 diabetes (formerly called non-insulin-dependent diabetes) is different. Unlike someone with type 1 diabetes, a person with type 2 diabetes still produces insulin but the body doesn't respond to it normally. Glucose is less able to enter the cells and do its job of supplying energy (this is called insulin resistance). This causes the blood sugar level to rise, making the pancreas produce even more insulin. Eventually, the pancreas can wear out from working overtime to produce extra insulin and may no longer be able to produce enough insulin to keep blood sugar levels normal. People with insulin resistance may or may not develop type 2 diabetes — it all depends on whether the pancreas can produce enough insulin to keep blood sugar levels normal.

The vast majority of people who develop type 2 diabetes are overweight. Excess fat makes it harder for the cells to respond to insulin. And being inactive further reduces the body's ability to respond to insulin. In the past, doctors called this type of diabetes adult-onset diabetes because it almost exclusively affected overweight adults. Today, that description is no longer accurate. More kids and teens are being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, most likely due to the fact that more kids and teens are overweight.

Those with insulin resistance or type 2 diabetes are also more likely to develop hypertension (high blood pressure) or abnormal levels of blood fats (cholesterol and triglycerides). People with these conditions have a greater risk of developing heart disease, stroke, and other health problems.

So with all of these facts in mind, prevention is key. Educating our children concerning the problem and dangers of obesity while being well informed ourselves is the starting point.

Does our DNA define us?

DNA, the unifying molecule of life, has become a star in its own right. Just about every movie, television show, and news broadcast these days gives DNA a central role in the telling of their particular story, real or imagined. From movies like Jurassic Park, to shows like Crime Scene Investigation (CSI), to even the OJ trial, DNA has become a pervasive element in modern day society.

Even so, my guess is that even though people have some familiarity with the three magical letters that abbreviate Deoxy riboNucleic Acid, the average person in the world today has no clear understanding of what DNA is or what it actually does....

To highlight this point, it is important to keep in mind that DNA in and of itself doesn't really have an actionable role...in fact, it is quite inert, and can be seen as playing its part several steps away from where the real action occurs (at the protein level). DNA is simply a code, a blueprint if you will, much like the one a contractor will use to build a house...except for the fact that DNA is the blueprint for life. All life on planet Earth is inextricably linked by this marvelous molecule, and before you start thinking that as a human being you are the lord and master of this world, keep in mind that your DNA is extremely similar to that of a chimpanzee, the chicken or fish you might be eating for dinner, or even an innocuous garden slug.

So yes, DNA is miraculous and it does bind every living creature on this planet. But does it truly define us as individuals? The answer to this question is an incredibly complex one, and it highlights the age old conundrum of 'nature vs. nurture'. In other words, are our genetics the main controlling factor, or does our environment and the choices we make throughout life play the most important role?

In short, our DNA may be able to tell us who we are, but it cannot tell us what we will become. For example, although an individual may have a genetic propensity for cardiovascular disease, cancer, or obesity, this does not mean that it must come to fruition. By leading a healthful lifestyle, exercising regularly, and maintaining a proper relationship with food, a person and even more so a child, can help to shape their future physical well being.

Biochemistry of the human body made easy....

The biochemistry of the human body is an amazing thing. Not many people take the time to understand how it works and as a result, they have problems in achieving their goals. Basically, it all comes down to getting rid of the preconceived notions concerning diet and exercise that have been passed down from generation to generation from the time of the cave man. I don’t know how many times I’ve heard an overweight person complain that they can’t seem to lose any weight even though they barely eat. From a realistic point of view, all diets are bad. What one needs is a positive relationship with food. Now I realize that this may sound funny, but it is the attitude that you need to have in order to be successful in attaining your goals. Food should not be looked upon in a negative manner. In other words, food should not be connected with weight gain. Regardless of the type of food eaten, the body ultimately converts it into fuel for energy. The important thing is not necessarily what you eat, but rather that you eat, period. This is where biochemistry comes into play. Let’s say you are a person who is trying to lose weight. In an effort to do so, you skip breakfast and lunch and only eat a small dinner. O.K., so what does your body have to say about this? Well, this person will burn fat, but only for a very short time. For a mere one hundred and twenty minutes following the emptying of the stomach, the body will begin a lipolysis (fat burning) cycle. The problem is that as the body burns fat, byproducts are formed which are toxic. It is important to remember that everything burned for fuel in the body (fats, sugars, and protein) is ultimately turned into glucose, a simple carbohydrate, in order to make ATP and thus energy. When fat is broken down, a glycerol molecule is formed which can be converted to glucose, but the remainder of the fat molecule consists of a fatty acid chain that cannot be made into glucose. As fat is broken down during these two hours, these fatty acids build up, creating a toxic environment. So after this relatively short period of time, the body is unable to burn any more fat because if it did a coma would result. Since nothing has been eaten, the body must then turn to its glycogen stores (these are pockets of stored glucose in the liver and kidneys). Unfortunately, these stores only last an average of fifteen minutes. Once again you are out of luck. The body still needs to get glucose from somewhere in order to make fuel for energy, so where in the world is it going to get it? The answer, unfortunately, is lean muscle. Muscle is catabolized (broken down) in order to make the needed glucose. So let’s go back and add up those times. I get two hours and fifteen minutes. This means that after only one hundred thirty-five minutes, including just one hundred twenty minutes of fat burning, the body has no choice but to break down its nice powerful, pretty muscle. So this person who thinks they will lose weight by eating less or not eating at all will lose weight, but it will be lean muscle weight and they will retain all of their fat stores. What’s worse is that by not eating in the morning, the most important meal of the day because it conditions the body’s metabolism for the rest of the day, this person will ultimately slow down their metabolism and increase their tendency to store fat. It’s that simple. Now that we realize that diets just don’t work, the next logical question is what does work. EXERCISE. Exercise alone will work, but exercise along with a positive relationship with food will work wonders.