With our increasingly sedentary lifestyles, it’s no surprise that more and more children are acquiring type 2 diabetes at an alarming rate. Parents read on to learn some key steps to help lower your children’s risk of developing type 2 diabetes with the help of lifestyle changes.

Parents Role

Consultant Pediatric Endocrinologist Dr. Rakesh Amin suggests there is more parents can do to lower the risk of children developing the disease. Factors such as obesity, rapid urbanization, and lack of exercise have caused this rapid increase in the rate of type 2 diabetes across the Middle East.

Tips for lessening your child’s risk of type 2 diabetes:

• Get active – as a family: Exercising is important for preventing type 2 diabetes. Kids need about 60 minutes of activity a day so to help achieve this, exercise should be encouraged and integrated in everyday family life. This can be small, incremental changes to bigger changes like going on a family bike ride.
• Encourage healthy eating in the home: Ensure there is always healthy food and healthy snacks in the home. Get rid of sugary and processed foods, and buy more fruit and vegetables. Teach children how to read food labels to help them find healthy foods in the supermarket.
• Limit portion sizes: A quick tip is using a smaller plate which to a child’s eye, gives the appearance of more food. Also, encourage children to eat slower and ensure they take at least 30 minutes to eat meals to allow nutrition to be absorbed.
• Be a good role model: The entire family needs to be on board with a healthy ‘get fit, get active’ attitude so the child doesn’t feel odd or singled out. This will make this healthy attitude a normal, everyday part of family life. If this healthy lifestyle can last, then it will significantly help lower the risk or delay the onset of children developing type 2 diabetes.

Credit: Dr. Rakesh Amin, Consultant Pediatric Endocrinologist at Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children (GOSH)