Lack of playgrounds and addiction to video games are spreading Type II diabetes among children as young as 10. Poor lifestyle and eating disorders are forcing them to take medication.
Dr Sharda A, a consultant endocrinologist at Vikram Hospital, described it as an alarming situation. “A class 8 student at a boarding school was having issues of bed-wetting. Normally children of this age do not have this disorder. Diabetes made him urinate frequently,” she said.
Type II diabetes is among the fastest-growing diseases in the country and over 72 million cases were recorded in 2017, a figure expected to nearly double by 2025.
The prevalence of pre-diabetes is also high. Recent studies have shown a rapid conversion of impaired glucose tolerance to diabetes in the southern states of India, where the prevalence of diabetes among adults has reached by about 20% in urban populations and about 10% in rural populations.
Dr Sharda said awareness and conscious changes in the family unit could make a huge difference at the grassroots level in tackling the challenge of diabetes.
A person’s family affects the diabetes risk in two ways. Parents contribute to the genetic heritage while the family influences the way people eat and exercise.
“If someone has diabetes, the whole family has a very major role in ensuring a healthy diet, regular exercise and other behaviour changes with emotional, physical and economic support, especially in India where the financial burden of medical care also lies within each individual family," Sharda added.
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