October 16, 2002
Diagnosis and Symptoms, Research: Causes and Prevention
Question from Alexandria, Virginia, USA:
My friend has a three and a half year old son who is very big for his age, has been seen by doctors to determine if there is a medical problem for his weight gain. While it was the opinion of some doctors that he is just a “big boy,” another said he was not properly processing insulin. He had several tests taken, all of which were normal, but this doctor indicated that he would probably develop diabetes later in life. When asked what preventative measures could be taken to prevent that result, the doctor said there were none. Does this diagnosis sound familiar? If so, is there anything that can be done to protect him against diabetes? Are there any “alternative” treatments being used these days?
Answer:
This doesn’t sound like diabetes or any obvious endocrine problem. The parents should discuss this with their physicians or get a second opinion. If he is overweight, then he should not watch so much television, eat fewer calories and get more exercise/activity each day, of course. Obesity is related to developing type 2 diabetes but not directly to type 1 diabetes.
SB
[Editor’s comment: See What You Need to Know about Type 2 Diabetes in Children.
WWQ]
