We’ve all seen the scary reports about the state of healthcare in this country. Clearly we have one of the worst systems in the world, and it leaves millions of families susceptible to devastating physical, emotional and financial traumas. But while we would all like to raise hell about this situation, the only thing we can really do to make sure our families don’t fall prey is to focus on prevention. The Centers for Disease Control have released several studies in recent years asking parents to turn their attention to the rising rates of Type II diabetes in our children. It’s an incredibly scary situation. What once was a disease you only saw in the middle-aged or older is now plaguing kids in elementary school. What’s to blame for this development? Part of it is certainly genetics, and if you have a history of diabetes in your family there’s really nothing you can do about it except monitor the situation. But many of the factors that tip the genetic scales are environmental, meaning it is up to us to keep our kids away from the troubling behaviors that lead to this chronic disease. Here are a few pointers to help reduce your children’s risk of diabetes.

First off, you have to understand the risk factors. Genetic history obviously tops the list. If your background is Asian, Hispanic, American Indian or African you are at a greater risk. Another issue is if your child has a body mass index over the 85th percentile for his age group. An early onset of puberty is also a risk factor. If your child has more than one of these you should set up regular diabetes screenings with your pediatrician, at least [Read more…]