THERE are some conditions we just don't associate with children.
But with modern-day living leaving many kids exposed to more fatty foods and a sedentary life-style, experts predict a rise in a killer disease previously only see in adults.
Diabetes is an illness that impacts close to four million people in the UK, with 90 per cent having Type 2.
Type 2 diabetes, which is more common among adults, can occur when the body struggles to regulate blood sugar levels.
More and more young people and teens, especially those who are overweight, obese, and sedentary, are affected by the disease.
Fresh Government statistics revealed almost one in ten children in reception were living with obesity in England.
Among children in year six in England, the average figure was 22 per cent, and over 30 per cent in the most deprived areas.
Early onset Type 2 diabetes, which used to be rare, is rising as more Brits become overweight and unfit, previous research found.
New diagnoses of Type 2 diabetes in those younger than 40 jumped by 23 per cent in just five years.
Diabetes UK has said that if nothing changes, 5.5 million people in the UK will have the disease by 2030.
Meanwhile, new modelling funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) revealed the number of Americans under the age of 20 with Type 2 diabetes could skyrocket by as much as 700 per cent by 2060.
Scientists in the UK and US raised an alarm early in the pandemic, after spotting a spike in cases of the potentially life-threatening condition.
Since then studies have linked Covid to both Type 1 and 2 diabetes.
When the silent killer occurs in children it can be hard to spot as symptoms may be less obvious than in adults and develop slowly over weeks or even months.
Canadian optometrist Langis Michaud has warned of the five symptoms parents should watch out for.
You may not know this, but Type 2 diabetes can cause vision loss.
And according to experts, it is the leading cause of vision loss among adults aged 20 to 74.
Langis highlighted the prevalence of one sign which can be spotted through regular visits to the optometrist or ophthalmologist.
"Diabetic signs are seen in up to 30 per cent of patients shortly after diagnosis," he wrote in The Conversation.
"Young people with Type 2 diabetes (compared to Type 1 diabetics of the same age) are 88 times more likely to develop retinopathy (abnormal blood vessels or hemorrhages in the retina)," he added.
"The risk of this retinopathy becoming “proliferative,” and therefore threatening to vision, is increased 230 times," the optometrist said.
High blood sugar levels can lead to dehydration.
A person with uncontrolled diabetes may experience polydipsia, a form of extreme thirst.
Diabetes can prevent the body from absorbing water, creating a vicious cycle if the condition is not being managed correctly.
Polydipsia can leave a person feeling an overwhelming need for water, have a very dry mouth or feel dizzy.
Needing to go to the toilet more than usual is a common sign of the condition.
This is because after a long period, the pancreas – which produces the insulin – becomes so tired that it can no longer produce enough insulin.
High levels of blood sugar then get passed into the urine to try to excrete it from the body.
That's why you need to pee more and it might smell slightly sweeter than usual.
A decrease in body weight that occurs unintentionally can be a warning sign of diabetes.
In people with diabetes, insufficient insulin prevents the body from getting glucose from the blood into the body’s cells to use as energy.
When this occurs, the body starts burning fat and muscle for energy, causing a reduction in overall body weight.
Unexpected weight loss is often noticed in people prior to a diagnosis of Type 1 diabetes but it may also affect people with Type 2 diabetes.
Many people with diabetes will describe themselves as feeling tired, lethargic or fatigued at times.
Two common reasons for tiredness or lethargy are having too high or too low blood sugar levels.
In both cases, the tiredness is the result of having an imbalance between one’s level of blood glucose and the amount or effectiveness of circulating insulin.
If you feel tired during the day, despite having slept well, it could be a result of either high or low sugar levels.
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