Risk Factors for Type 2 Diabetes in Children
Some risk factors may make children more prone to type 2 diabetes. These include:
– Inactivity: Leading a sedentary lifestyle may increase the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. This is because physical activity is important for controlling the body weight, using glucose as energy, and making the body cells more responsive to insulin
– Bodyweight: Being overweight and obese is strongly linked to type 2 diabetes in children. The number of fatty tissues, particularly around the belly, may make the body resist insulin.
– Gender: Type 2 diabetes is more likely to occur in adolescent girls than adolescent boys
– Age: The condition is more likely to happen in the early teens
– Ethnicity and race: Asian American, American Indian, Hispanic, and Black people are often at a higher risk
– Family history: The risk is higher in people with a sibling or parent with type 2 diabetes
– Pre-term birth: Infants born prematurely may be at a higher risk
– Gestational diabetes: There is a link between gestational diabetes in the mother and type 2 diabetes
– Low birth weight [4]
