Why Do So Many Children Have Type 2 Diabetes and Pre-Diabetes? What Can Be Done About It?

ByMaxine FoxMaxine Fox
Level: Platinum

I wear many hats. I am a writer, a scientist, and a researcher among other things. I seek the truth on all matters of importance ... Article Word Count: 727[View Summary]Comments (0)

According to the CDC (Centers For Disease Control and Prevention), approximately 2 million teenagers in the United States have pre-diabetes. Furthermore, the number of children who are diagnosed with type 2 diabetes is rapidly increasing and the average age of onset is just as rapidly getting younger. Type 2 diabetes didn't exist at all until 1926 and it was completely unheard of in children until very recently. This is ALARMING!

WHY?

Why do so many children have type 2 diabetes and pre-diabetes and what can be done about it?

Children used to grow up eating wholesome healthy food. Eggs didn't come with hormones and they contained lots of omega-3. Oats didn't come pre-cooked, defiberized, and laced with trans fat, high fructose corn syrup, and ready to be nuked. Oats and other grains were slow cooked and full of fiber and nutrients. Cows still ate grass and weren't shot up with hormones and antibiotics. Dairy products were extremely healthy and nutritious. Beef and chicken still tasted like beef and chicken and weren't full of hormones and antibiotics. Beef USED TO BE an excellent source of omega-3 when cows still ate grass. Kids drank hormone-free milk with almost every meal, not soda pop and alleged "fruit juice" full of high fructose corn syrup and artificial chemical flavorings. Dinner did not come pre-packaged in a box loaded with trans fat, high fructose corn syrup, and additives like MSG to make up for the loss of actual flavor. No meal included genetically modified, highly processed, dehydrated, and sometimes reconstituted in part "vegetables." Real vegetables with real nutrients and real fiber came straight from the garden or from nearby farms. Almost every family knew how and participated in the art of putting up fruits and vegetables for the winter - and they were still full of fiber, nutrients, and yes TASTE with they were opened in the winter. A typical after school snack was a piece of fruit, a peanut butter sandwich (WITHOUT the trans fat or high fructose corn syrup mixed in), or a few home made cookies made from scratch with wholesome ingredients and a glass of healthy milk. I shudder when I really stop to think about what kids eat for snacks today!

Children used to walk to school, walk to the movie theater, and walk to the store. They had LONG recess where they participated in physical activities. They ran around after school and PLAYED OUTSIDE. They screamed, they yelled, they jumped for joy. They were ACTIVE.

In general, children used to be FAR LESS STRESSED. Kids did not worry about being shot by their classmate. Schedules were not quite so hectic. Kids didn't have to grow up so fast and worry about adult matters quite so soon.

In the most generic sense, I doubt it is any big mystery why so many kids are developing diabetes - or at least it shouldn't be! It is most certainly related to the change in diet, the dramatic decrease in physical activity, and the elevated chronic stress.

Now what can we do about it? First, we need to engage the media in getting the truth out about trans fat, high fructose corn syrup, genetically modified, food additives, all the reasons for the low quality dairy products, all the reasons for low quality meat products, the dangers of modern massive-scale profit-driven food processing, etc, etc... If we can't save ourselves, let's try to save our children or our children's children.

Second, we need to DRAMATICALLY change the diet of our children. Eliminating all trans fat and high fructose corn syrup is a good step in the right direction. These are poisons that CAUSE diabetes. Eating organic eliminates genetically modified organisms. Stop buying processed food and put some REAL food on the table!!! Teach our children better eating habits. Boycott school lunches until they eliminate the processed food, trans fat, high fructose corn syrup, genetically modified orgasms, etc....

Third, we need to be a LOUD voice for bringing back recess and physical activity to our children's lives. Maybe this should be legislatively mandated. Get the PTA's and other parent organizations involved. Speak out at local public meetings. Educate your neighbors, friends, and family.

Fourth, find ways to eliminate stress from our children's lives and help them learn to cope better with stress. Try to create an environment where they get more sleep.

Okay. So there's only so much I can explain in a single article and I've tried to give a nice overview of why our children are increasingly developing diabetes. However, the details matter here and they just can't be condensed down into a 1 page article.

You need MORE INFORMATION - LOTS MORE!!! The best source on how to reverse diabetes (and pre-diabetes) I've found so far is HERE (CLICK HERE). This works equally well for children. In fact, it works BETTER because the earlier you get them started, the easier it will be to reverse diabetes or pre-diabetes.

This is something I am very passionate about and I have researched it well.

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Article Submitted On: January 28, 2011

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