Based on her findings, Kaufman plans a long–term study to see if changes in food and exercise as well as health education can change this troubling trend.
Dr. David L. Katz, of the Yale University School of Medicine, said, "Just two decades ago, we spoke of the two kinds of diabetes as 'juvenile onset' and 'adult onset.' In that short span, adult onset –– now type 2 ––diabetes has become epidemic in children as young as 6."
Given the strong ties between diabetes and heart disease, this trend suggests that cardiovascular disease could become common in teens within a decade, he noted.
"We cannot afford to make light of obesity –– the primary cause of epidemic diabetes," Katz said. "Obesity is not a cosmetic issue, it is a highly significant health issue. Because of our societal views, including widespread bias against obesity, there is considerable pressure for parents and children to deny even when they see it.
He added, "We must de–stigmatize obesity so that we can acknowledge it when it's there. Then we must both acknowledge it, and work to control it, because the future health of our children is very clearly at stake."
Source: Health Day
Life
Many Parents Are Blind to Their Kids' Weight Problems
By: Steven Reinberg
Saturday, 5 June 2004, 12:06 (IST)
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