Contents
In line with its mission, the Editorial Board of MedTvoiLokony makes every effort to provide reliable medical content supported by the latest scientific knowledge. The additional flag “Checked Content” indicates that the article has been reviewed by or written directly by a physician. This two-step verification: a medical journalist and a doctor allows us to provide the highest quality content in line with current medical knowledge.
Our commitment in this area has been appreciated, among others, by by the Association of Journalists for Health, which awarded the Editorial Board of MedTvoiLokony with the honorary title of the Great Educator.
– Until recently, people in their forties were believed to suffer from type XNUMX diabetes. However, this has changed – says prof. Liliana Majkowska, West Pomeranian consultant in the field of diabetes. – In recent years, we have found more and more cases in twenty-year-olds and even children.
More and more children and adolescents have diabetes of the second type. It is the fault of improper food and little exercise. Prof. Majkowska has no doubts that the disease is related to obesity in young people.
– The fact that obesity is already a serious problem in our society can be seen on beaches and bathing beaches, when clothes do not hide unnecessary kilograms – says Professor Majkowska.
Computer and grilling instead of running
Where did these kilos come from? It’s the result of high-calorie food, fast food, crisps, snacks, bars, sweetened sodas … but also not getting enough exercise. Children spend more and more hours in front of the computer and TV.
– There is also a lack of playing fields, there are too few physical education lessons in schools, and if they are, they are sometimes poorly conducted. There is also a lack of extra-curricular sports activities – says prof. Liliana Majkowska. – In many families there is also a bad model of spending free time. There is no fashion or custom of family hiking, biking, walking or swimming together. For some, the only form of outdoor recreation is family barbecuing.
A neighbor asked me if I was making my son breakfast
The mother of 10-year-old Piotrek who was diagnosed with type XNUMX diabetes, there is no doubt today that her son was not eating properly.
– Once, when a neighbor asked me if I had no time to make my son breakfast, because she sees him on the tram every morning with a bar in his hand, I thought it was spite and meddling in other people’s affairs – says Mrs. Irena, mother of a ten-year-old. – But I started to make sure that my son would eat the sandwiches I had prepared before leaving the house. What did he eat at school? Could I have checked it at all? He got sandwiches and fruit from me, but often took them out of his backpack when he returned home. He said he wasn’t hungry. I find it hard to believe, since he usually has a good appetite. It soon turned out that Piotrek has diabetes. Now I feel guilty that I didn’t take care of my son.
I didn’t want to admit my son was obese
Mrs. Irena admits today that she did not want to admit to herself for a long time that her son is obese. – I thought it was a temporary state. After all, plump children often become graceful people – says Irena. – If Piotrek was still “teddy”, but not … he had a lot of energy. Mrs. Irena became concerned only when her son became calmer and began to tire quickly.
– At first I thought he just needs to lose weight. I’ve even come up with a plan to help him do it: I’ll say “the whole family is losing weight”. This way, I would motivate Piotr to limit his eating of sweets. No fast food, no pizza in town. However, I noticed that my son started to drink a lot and wake up to use the toilet at night. We went to the doctor. It turned out that the kid had elevated blood sugar levels. Further examinations showed that the boy had diabetes of the second type.
Complications are dangerous
– The diagnosis of type XNUMX diabetes in children and adolescents is not associated with the psychological trauma as in the case of type XNUMX diabetes, where the onset is rapid, associated with many complaints and where multiple insulin injections are necessary from the very beginning of the disease – reassures prof. Liliana Majkowska. – Type XNUMX diabetes usually has no complaints, patients feel well and treatment is mainly dietary, or sometimes it is necessary to add a drug administered in the form of tablets. There is also no risk of hypoglycaemia associated with the use of insulin in this group, which may lead to loss of consciousness (this is the case in the first type). The diagnosis of diabetes mellitus of the second type in children and adolescents is related only to the unpleasant awareness for some that they should stop overeating their favorite delicacies and give up sweets. It is also difficult to persuade and persuade some of these people to change their lifestyle and lose weight – adds the professor.
This is confirmed by Piotrek’s mother. – They were afraid of a sweet roll or a chocolate bar – says Irena. “I keep telling my son that he can’t eat whatever he wants, that he’ll feel worse and worse if he doesn’t take it for himself.”
– Complications of type XNUMX diabetes are the same as in the case of type XNUMX diabetes – says prof. Majkowska. – Although a greater risk in this group of patients are diseases of large arteries resulting from accelerated atherosclerosis, such as coronary artery disease, heart attack, stroke or lower limb ischemia leading to amputation. Diabetes can also cause blindness and irreversible damage to the kidneys. (read more in Avoid complications! – ed.)
Unhealthy eating is addictive
Dr. Ewa Fenc-Czajka, who heads the OTC Obesity Treatment Center in Szczecin, admits that more and more children with diabetes of the second type come to her.
– Undoubtedly, it is related to the growing obesity epidemic in children who have too little exercise and too much caloric supply forced by colorful advertisements – says Dr. Ewa Fenc-Czajka. – In order to prevent this, it is necessary to teach children healthy nutrition from an early age and make them love exercise.
Five regular and balanced meals a day, with the right proportion of carbohydrates, fat and protein, and the right amount of vitamins and minerals, according to Dr. Fenc-Czajki, can help prevent overweight. It will also help if the child is overweight or obese.
– A child that eats every three hours will not feel hungry. So he will not feel like eating something sweet or fatty – says Dr. Ewa Fenc-Czajka.
The obesity treatment specialist also recommends eliminating fast food, chips, snacks and wafers from your diet.
– American neuroscientist Sarah Leibowitz noticed that fast food can reorganize a young child’s organism so much that it will become addicted to it and will demand fatty meals in the future – says Dr. Ewa Fenc-Czajka. – Sweet drinks also contribute to obesity. This has been noticed in Spain. The children were obese, despite the fact that they had a lot of exercise, says the doctor, but they drank too much juice from cartons. A glass of such juice has quite a lot, as much as 60-80 calories. By comparison, still water is zero calories. If you want to diversify the taste, just add lemon to the water. Coca-Cola is also unhealthy, even in the light version. There is a harmful artificial sweetener in it.
Pleasant and healthy diet
According to prof. Liliana Majkowska, diabetics have no reason to complain about the diet recommended for them. It is not unpleasant to the palate.
– It is simply a healthy diet – says professor Majkowska. – It reduces or completely eliminates fats, including butter, cream, mayonnaise, sauces, fried things, fatty meat, meats, fatty cheeses, sweets, cakes, sweet drinks, fruit juices. Instead, eat as many vegetables as possible (tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuce, peppers, radishes, chives, and dill are especially good). Ideally, they should be in the form of salads or steamed or in a small amount of water (beetroot, cauliflower, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, green beans). As for fruits, they should be eaten in moderate amounts as they are relatively high in calories. As for meats, fish, lean poultry and lean beef are recommended.
Children overworked and stressed
According to Dr. Ewa Fenc-Czajki, children would not be obese if their parents devoted more time to them. – Today’s children are busy – says Dr. Fenc-Czajka. – They have a busy day. They live in great tension. If they cannot relieve this tension, they start eating more. And it would be enough for parents to find even 15 minutes a day to talk to their children. The child’s physical activity is also important: a longer walk, playing football or a bicycle. It is worth remembering one more thing: food affects not only the appearance and health of the baby. Numerous studies have shown that it also influences his psyche and behavior.
Good diet for the child
– Give the least processed food possible, avoid preservatives. In order for children to grow and develop healthily, they must eat a lot of vegetables, grains (groats, cereals, wholemeal bread), some (not too many) fruit, because their excess also leads to weight gain. Let’s not forget about fish (priceless due to Omega-3 fatty acids), necessary for the proper development of a young organism, good brain function and good eyesight.
Consultation: Ewa Fenc-Czajka, MD, PhD from the OTC Obesity Treatment Center in Szczecin
Small changes are enough to prevent diabetes