Childhood Diabetes

Childhood Diabetes

Today, diabetes is a huge problem in society. There are almost three million children and adults in the United States who have diabetes. Children suffer more now from diabetes than they have in the past. The reasons why children have diabetes are genetic, societal, and their personal body chemistry.

According to Steven Dowshen and Elana Pearl Ben-Joseph, "diabetes is a disease that affects how the body uses glucose, the main type of sugar in the blood. Glucose comes from the foods we eat and is the major source of energy needed to fuel the body's functions" (Dowshen). That means everything that we eat is extremely important to our health in daily life. Food can lead us to a good health if we know how to eat in a correct way. However, if we eat food everyday that contains very high cholesterol, sugar, and fat, our bodies will collect that excess. It can lead to diabetes, and adults as well as children can suffer from it.

There are two types of diabetes: type 1 diabetes, also called insulin-dependent diabetes or juvenile diabetes, and type 2 diabetes. People who have type 1 diabetes need to take insulin injections because their glands do not make any insulin. Moreover, this type needs insulin every day. The immune system of people who suffer from type 1 diabetes destroys the insulin-producing data cells of the pancreases. In addition, type 1 diabetes usually occurs in children and young adults. On the other hand, people with type 2 diabetes can still make insulin, but not adequate to their body's needs. People who have type 2 diabetes have to take insulin via injections or pills or tablets. Usually, this type occurs in adults age forty-five years and up (Dowshen).

Glucose can cause diabetes. According to Dr. Ruby Go, president of the Philippine Lipid Atherosclerosis Society (PLAS), "Prediabetes occurs when the body does not respond properly to its own insulin and this cause glucose levels in the blood to increase." ("Go") That means insulin and glucose are the most important part of inside body that can cause to have diabetes. Moreover, glucose is blood sugar and carbohydrates that are used a source of energy in animals and plants. If people do not have adequate glucose, they can be easily tired. However, if people have too high blood sugar, they have a high chance to get diabetes. As a result, normally people need to be between more than seventy and up to one hundred and ten milligrams of glucose in 100 milliliters of blood (mg/dl). For instance, if people have more than the average amount of blood glucose, they may still be fine because sometimes it happens after eating. However, if it is more than two hundred, it can prove that they have diabetes. On the other hand, it is not only when they have high blood pressure that means they have diabetes, but also when they have low blood pressure.

Symptoms of children suffering type 1 diabetes are frequent urinating, no feeling of being thirsty, extreme hunger, weight loss, weakness, and tiredness. Some children who have this type of diabetes do not show any symptom. Moreover, symptoms of type 2 diabetes is similar to that of type 1 diabetes, except that type 2 diabetes might cause symptoms of sickness, increased appetite, and blurred vision. However, not everybody who suffers from type 2 diabetes will have those symptoms (Dowshen).

Diabetes can be caused genetically because one of their parents might have had diabetes in their family. Therefore, when their child is born, the baby can inherit diabetes from their parents or grandparents. For instance, my cousin has been overweight since he was born; he is five years old now. When he was two years old, his weight was around one hundred pounds. His parents are also overweight, as was his grandmother, who suffered from diabetes. He is already suffering from type 2 diabetes. Moreover, his parents took him to check his body every two months, in order to control his problem with being overweight and having diabetes. The doctor told his parents what he should eat and what he should not eat. Fortunately, after his parents controlled his food intake, his health improved.

However, diabetes does not mean that people who are overweight always have diabetes. Diabetes does not mean that people have to be overweight or bigger than normal. For example, my younger sister, who is thin like me, is also suffering from diabetes; she has inherited diabetes from my grandfather. She constantly eats healthy food and works out, she jogs, swims, and plays tennis, but she still has diabetes. That confirms that my sister cannot recover from this disease because it is genetic, but working out and eating healthy food can help her to alleviate the pain and she will live longer.

Next, diabetes is also caused from society. On every corner people can buy and find fast food, drink sodas, and eat unhealthy food that can make them get diabetes. A hamburger contains a lot of fat, oils, and greases, and soda contains sweet things and especially is a source of sugar. All kind of this fast food has high cholesterol and high sugar contents which can cause people to have diabetes. Even though they know that fast food and soda are not good for their health and their children's health, people still like to eat fast food because it is convenient, inexpensive, fast, and tasty. For example, even though I know fast food is not good for my health, sometimes I eat it. When I get up late, I usually eat fast food because I am in a hurry to go to class. I feel I have no choice; it is fast! Although it is fast, it sometimes makes me feel sick, tired, and gives me a headache.

In addition, advertisements make children want to eat fast food more and more. For instance, fast food companies have promoted on every corner, and on television, signs, and kids' toys. When children go to eat at McDonalds and order a kid's meal, it contains