Introduction
Diabetes Mellitus is one of the most common chronic diseases. There are two main types of diabetes: type 1 and type 2 diabetes, with the latter being more prevalent in adults. Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is a chronic disease where the body fails to regulate blood sugar properly. It may occur when the body is unable to produce enough insulin to regulate blood sugar or when the body resists insulin. T2D in adolescents is a major concern for the healthcare system. Adolescence refers to the age between 10 and 19 years.
Prevalence
The prevalence of T2D in adolescents has been increasing in recent years. According to a National Diabetes Statistics Report released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the estimated prevalence of the disease was 25 cases per 10,000 adolescents in 2017. This number is expected to keep rising if no intervention measures are implemented. As of 2019, about 210,000 Americans under the age of 20 years had diabetes, including both type 1 and 2. It is essential to note that the prevalence of diabetes is higher in racial and ethnic minorities, including Black, Hispanic, American-Indian, and Pacific Islander populations.
Cost of Treatment
The American Diabetes Association releases a report on the economic burden of diabetes every five years. The most recent report was released in 2017. The report does not differentiate between the costs that go into treating adults and those used to treat adolescents with diabetes. Additionally, the American Diabetes Association does not make a distinction between type 1 and 2 diabetes in terms of treatment costs. The estimated cost of treating type 1 and 2 diabetes in adult and adolescent populations was $327 billion in 2017. Of this cost, $237 billion goes into direct medical expenses. Consequently, it is estimated that diabetes costs healthcare 2.3 times the expenses that would be incurred without the disease.
Common Myths and Current Status of Understanding
T2D in adolescents is still widely misunderstood, with some people even denying that young people can develop T2D. This misunderstanding stems from the fact that T2D is sometimes referred to as adult-onset diabetes, which leads many to believe that it only affects adults. Another misunderstanding is that children and adolescents can outgrow diabetes. Diabetes is a chronic disease that can only be managed but not cured. Other people also think that T2D is not a serious illness in adolescents, which could make them fail to properly manage the condition if present. However, due to the increasing prevalence of T2D in adolescents, research in the area has also increased. In turn, more research into T2D in adolescents has improved the understanding of the disease.
Opinion
Even though research into the matter has increased in recent years, I think the current status of understanding T2D in adolescents is still lacking. For instance, it is still difficult to estimate the economic burden of T2D in adolescents independently from adults. More research is needed to properly understand the disease. I also think the cost of treating T2D is too high. It will overwhelm the healthcare system in the next few years, especially considering the damage caused by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Since T2D is, in part, caused by an unhealthy lifestyle, it can be prevented. However, preventing the disease in adolescents is not an individual effort. It will take the combined effort of adolescents, parents, teachers, communities, and states to reduce the prevalence of the disease.
How to Move Forward
Needless to say, it is imperative to reduce the incidence of T2D. One way of doing this is by educating parents on the risk factors and preventative measures against diabetes. For instance, many mothers are not aware that breastfeeding can help reduce the risk of diabetes in babies and, later, in adolescence. Schools should also ensure that students get enough time for physical exercise. This is because inactivity is one of the risk factors for T2D. On a larger scale, the federal and state governments should ensure healthy foods are affordable to promote healthy eating, which reduces the risk of T2D. To reduce the cost of treating diabetes, the government should regulate the cost of insulin. Altogether, these measures will reduce the incidence of diabetes and lower the cost of treatment.
What Can You Do?
An individual can reduce their risk of developing T2D by improving their lifestyle. Firstly, one should exercise for at least one hour daily. In addition to exercising, a person should reduce the time spent in sedentary activities, such as watching television. Another way to decrease the likelihood of developing T2D is by consuming nutritious diets, such as the Mediterranean diet, which comprises fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and unsaturated fats. Consuming a healthy diet and exercising helps one to maintain a healthy weight. Being overweight or obese could increase a person’s risk of T2D. Lastly, one should get tested for diabetes in case of symptoms to start managing it early. Parents should assist their underage adolescents in following these guidelines.
Conclusion
Many young people develop type 2 diabetes, possibly because they are unaware of how to prevent it. Some believe that diabetes is an adult disease or a mild disease that an adolescent can outgrow. A proper understanding of T2D in adolescents will help reduce the incidence and prevalence of the disease. Adolescents should be aware of the risk factors that contribute to T2D because this knowledge might push them to modify their lifestyle to include regular physical exercise and a healthy diet. Consequently, this will decrease the cost of treating the disease in adolescents.
References
American Diabetes Association. (2018). Economic costs of diabetes in the US in 2017. Diabetes Care, 41(5), 917-928. Web.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2020). National diabetes statistics report 2020: Estimates of diabetes and its burden in the United States. Web.
Jensen, E. T., & Dabelea, D. (2018). Type 2 diabetes in youth: New lessons from the SEARCH study.Current diabetes Reports, 18(6), 1-7. Web.
Weisman, A., Fazli, G. S., Johns, A., & Booth, G. L. (2018). Evolving trends in the epidemiology, risk factors, and prevention of type 2 diabetes: A review.Canadian Journal of Cardiology, 34(5), 552-564. Web.