Elsevier

Preventive Medicine

Volume 31, Issue 6, December 2000, Pages 702-705
Preventive Medicine

Regular Article
“Who Is the Wise Man?—The One Who Foresees Consequences:” Childhood Obesity, New Associated Comorbidity and Prevention

https://doi.org/10.1006/pmed.2000.0752Get rights and content

Abstract

Objective. We discuss the recently increased epidemic of type 2 diabetes among children and adolescents in preventive terms and argue that this epidemic represents a failure of primary and secondary interventions.

Methods. We review the current literature regarding the characteristics of adolescents with type 2 diabetes.

Results. The common denominator in patients who develop adolescent-onset type 2 diabetes was extreme obesity with body mass index of 35–38 kg/m2, accompanied by family obesity, a diet rich in fat and sedentary lifestyle.

Conclusions. The current epidemic of type 2 diabetes among adolescents demonstrates that failure to prevent obesity at primary and secondary opportunities for intervention leads to the development of associated diseases with significant morbidity and potential mortality. Family education programs are needed to institute gradual, permanent changes in diet and activity.

References (32)

  • RC Whitaker et al.

    Predicting obesity in young adulthood from childhood and parental obesity

    New Engl J Med

    (1997)
  • A Must et al.

    The disease burden associated with overweight and obesity

    JAMA

    (1999)
  • FX Pi-Sunyer

    Medical hazards of obesity

    Ann Intern Med

    (1993)
  • SL Gortmaker et al.

    Social and economic consequences of overweight in adolescence and young adulthood

    N Engl J Med

    (1993)
  • A Lusky et al.

    Relationship between morbidity and extreme values of body mass index in adolescents

    Int J Epidemiol

    (1996)
  • Cited by (43)

    • Beta-Cell Fragility As a Common Underlying Risk Factor in Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes

      2017, Trends in Molecular Medicine
      Citation Excerpt :

      However, despite the credibility of the hygiene hypothesis, we argue that it cannot be the only explanation, with other environmental factors being altered as radically as hygiene over the time period where T1D has been increasing. The increase in T1D is equally mirrored by an increase in obesity and T2D [64], making it equally plausible that dietary changes and obesity rises are also responsible for the increasing T1D incidence. In support of this latter notion, children with higher BMI have shown earlier diagnosis of T1D [65,66].

    • Demographic influences and health disparities

      2020, Behavioral Diabetes: Social Ecological Perspectives for Pediatric and Adult Populations
    View all citing articles on Scopus

    Babylonian Talmud, Matmid pp 32/A.

    2

    To whom reprint requests should be addressed at Maccabi Health Care Services, Juvenile Diabetes Center, 5 Usishkin St., P.O. Box 1773, Ramat Hasharon 47117, Israel. Fax: 972-3-5484644. E-mail: “Orit Hamiel” ⦅[email protected]⦆.

    View full text