About 16 million Americans have diabetes, and approximately
90% of them have type 2, non insulin dependent diabetes (NIDDM). People with
type 2 diabetes have insulin resistance, the inability to fully utilize their
body's insulin to properly process blood glucose. Obesity and insulin resistance
are closely linked -- the more excess weight, the greater the insulin resistance,
and the harder it is to keep your blood sugars in the normal range. If you have
type 2 diabetes, weight reduction is an urgent concern.
Current statistics tell us a majority of Americans (~55%, per the National Institutes
of Health) are overweight or outright obese, and that more than 1/3 of America's
children are overweight, some seriously. Many studies report a great increase
in NIDDM among younger people, and link this to the observed 50% increase in
childhood obesity in the last two decades.
Why are so many more children overweight? It is the usual diabetes answer: Diet
and Exercise. One generation played outdoor games, another shuttles between
television and the computer. One was never without a football, baseball, tennis
racket, maybe a hockey stick... And the other, to echo a recent Canadian report,
"has never been without a remote control in its hand." People don't
move as much as they used to. One report states the average American child spends
24 hours a week watching television; "Time that could be spent in physical
activity," according to the National Institute of Diabetes, Digestive and
Kidney Diseases.
And there's Diet. As more Americans make "convenience foods" (what
we used to correctly call "junk food") a significant part of their
diet, we gain weight accordingly. We eat "til we're full," and is
it any wonder our children do the same?
What to do? First, be a role model. If your children see you active and having
fun, they'll want to emulate you. You can't be a couch potato, and expect, or
honestly ask, your children to be physically active. Do your family activities
include exercise, or do they mostly consist of evenings channel-surfing? Remember,
you can probably use the exercise too.
Second, cut way down on the junk food, and work on healthy portion sizes. Your
doctor can help you find a dietitian, who'll work with you on healthy diet and
sensible amounts. More is not necessarily better, and your children are watching
how you eat. Again, you'll help yourself too.
Third, never forget the power of praise. When your children find a positive
example, a parent, an athlete, or perhaps a favorite actor, agree, and then
make that the time to talk about "how they look so good." Children
need to learn that fitness is not granted, it is achieved -- and that they can
achieve it, if they put in the work.
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