Diabetes - A Serious Health Problem for the Obese Child
One serious health problem for the obese child involves the body’s ability to process sugar. Diabetes is occurring in almost epidemic rates in the United States and much of the Western world. That’s because we have heavy kids who are growing into heavy adults. This health problem for the obese child begins early and can cause diabetes to erupt when they become adults.
This is why adults getting diabetes are getting it at a younger age. It is no longer just a disease for the older set.
When a child is overweight, their body’s systems are overtaxed. A child doesn’t just become overweight accidentally. Poor diet and lack of exercise in any combination will contribute to a childhood obesity.
And it’s not the weight itself necessarily that causes many of the of the health problems of the obese child. Rather it’s the diet and lifestyle that led the child to become fat that can damage their health.
One of the most serious health conditions facing people today is the threat of diabetes. Fortunately, diabetes is mostly preventable.
Type I diabetes occurs when the pancreas stops functioning properly. This type of diabetes is also known as juvenile diabetes. This isn’t a preventable disease because it simply happens when an organ malfunctions.
Type II diabetes on the other hand is almost always preventable. This is a disease caused by lifestyle choices like poor diet and lack of exercise. While there are cases where it seemed a person was doing everything possible to stay fit and they developed diabetes - it is rare. In almost every case, the condition was brought on by poor dietary choices.
People who have type II diabetes can usually reverse it by following a healthy diet that cuts out simple carbohydrates. It is foods high in certain types of carbohydrates that contribute to the development of diabetes. Eliminating these kinds of carbs can make a drastic difference.
When adults who have diabetes alter their diets, dramatic changes can take place. They lose weight and lower their blood sugar levels naturally. This can lead to an end to diabetes and they can get off the pills and even the insulin shots.
This serious health problem for the obese child often starts when they’re young, even though the diabetes may not develop until they’re adults. That’s because it is a slowly progressing disease. It can take years before the body responds.
When a child eats a diet high in simple carbohydrates like flour and sugar, large amounts of glucose are released into the blood stream after they eat. Because kids’ bodies are so adaptable, their bodies work efficiently to remove the excess glucose by releasing large amounts of insulin to take care of it.
Over time, the large amounts of insulin released into the blood stream can damage the vessels and arteries. Eventually the body becomes resistant to the effects of insulin, just as a person can be resistant to antibiotics or other drugs.
The body stops sending out insulin. The blood sugar is no longer naturally eliminated so pills or insulin injections become necessary.
This health problem of an obese child may take years to develop. But be warned: for the obese child, it is doing slow, serious damage over their entire childhood if not stopped by major lifestyle changes.
