I am 14 years old, and I have had type 1 diabetes for about eight years. I am about 5 feet tall. What can I do to get taller and gain weight? Can my diabetes be keeping me from growing? If diabetes can keep you from growing, what can I do to stop my diabetes and start to grow?

The very best thing you can do to insure the best growth and height is to take care of your diabetes. You need fuel to grow and you need to use the fuel the best way. If your blood sugar is too high, then you aren’t using the fuel in the best way. I would want you to monitor very frequently and take insulin as it is prescribed. I might ask your doctor about more intensive management.

If you are doing all that, you might ask your doctor to be sure that your thyroid gland is working okay. Thyroid problems can cause growth problems in any child, and especially one with diabetes. Finally, there is a condition, celiac disease, in which you don’t digest certain foods properly. It may require some tests, but if you have any history of stomach problems, ask your doctor about it. Again — control the diabetes first and foremost.

LD