June 2, 2001
Diagnosis and Symptoms
Question from Hazlehurst, Georgia, USA:
My 13 year old daughter weighs over 200 pounds and seems to constantly crave sweets. She complains of excessive sweating and frequent headaches. She becomes very moody from time to time, even more than to be expected from a teen-age girl. Her great-grandmother and grandfather had diabetes. I have talked with our local family physician about these problems, but he did not seem to think that we should pursue any additional testing. I continue to be concerned about her health. She keeps gaining weight and has a terrible self-concept. Should I seek an additional opinion?
Answer:
I would expect the sweating is related to the weight. The other questions could possibly relate to diabetes. More importantly, the weight and the risk to develop type�2 diabetes cannot be ignored.
I think you should follow up and look at consultations regarding the weight gain. She may be insulin resistance, which we understand to be a risk factor. Other questions relate to her menstrual cycle and any problems. Does she have problems with excess hair growth? These all are possible problems that need exploration.
LD
