Latest news with #prediabetes
Yahoo
21-07-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Prediabetes Is On The Rise In Kids, And Parents Must Take Steps To Stop It
The CDC is sounding the alarm on prediabetes in adolescents. The latest report suggests that about 1 in 3 kids has prediabetes. This means they have elevated blood sugar levels that could lead to Type 2 diabetes if not addressed. This number is even more concerning when compared to previous estimates. The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey found that only 28% of adolescents showed these signs in the 2015-2016 survey, and only 20% in the one before that, according to StatNews. At this stage, the disease may exhibit no symptoms, making it easy to miss. This is crucial because at this stage it can still be reversed with intervention, so parents should be alert. What Should Parents Watch For? The latest numbers say that about 1 in 3 adolescents is at risk, and more sedentary lifestyles are likely a factor. Prediabetes doesn't always progress into full-blown diabetes, but when it does, the effects can be very serious, so early intervention is key. Your child's doctor may raise concerns about blood sugar levels at their regular checkups, but there are risk factors that you can be aware of, too. Simply being in adolescence can be a risk factor, as hormone changes (which occur in all teens, but particularly in girls) can affect how effectively the body uses insulin, according to the CDC. Being overweight is another risk factor, even if the teen is otherwise healthy. One currently prevalent risk factor, and one that's relatively easy to address, is inactivity. Few kids get sufficient physical activity, and that's a significant health risk. The Genetic Factor In Diabetes Some risk factors for diabetes and prediabetes are outside your and your child's control. Some people have a greater genetic predisposition to diabetes. If there is a family history of diabetes, you should be aware, because it means an increased risk for your child (and yourself). Some ethnic and racial groups also have a higher risk, including Black, Native American, Hispanic, Asian American, and Pacific Islander. A child is also at higher risk if their mother had gestational diabetes during pregnancy. If any of the above applies to your child, you'll want to use heightened vigilance. What Should You Ask Your Pediatrician? Pediatricians may start testing your child's blood sugar at around age 10, or at puberty if it comes earlier. Then, a typical schedule involves checking every three years. However, if your child has risk factors, your doctor may perform this test more frequently. Alternatively, if you're concerned, you can request a screening. You should also consult your pediatrician before making any drastic changes to your diet and exercise regimen. While getting active is important, and healthy eating can help reduce the risk, your child also needs nutrients for their growing and developing body. Therefore, any changes should be made cautiously and with guidance. What Sort Of Lifestyle Changes Should We Consider? As mentioned, no major lifestyle changes should be made without consulting your doctor. However, everyone can make an effort to be a little healthier, and changes for your child will work best if they're done as a family. These changes can be simple and gradual, and don't have to be onerous. One tiny change that can make a significant difference is having family meals without screens. Eating in front of a screen and eating alone change our intake and make us more likely to ignore our body's cues when it's sated. Changing food choices helps, too. That doesn't mean you need to eliminate all snacks, treats, and sugar at once! You can set limits on sodas and other sugary drinks, and start providing more vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins. Plan ahead for shopping — it's hard to impulsively eat foods that aren't in the house! You can also work on getting your whole family up and moving. If Mom and Dad are on board together, it will be easier to get the kids active. This can mean going hiking or biking as a family, or it can mean playing catch, or taking a dance class. Whatever it looks like for your family, joining in together will make it easier for your child.
Daily Mail
15-07-2025
- Health
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Man who shed 85lbs in under a year shares easy changes he made to lose the weight
A man who shed 85lbs in under a year has revealed the simple changes that he made to lose the weight. Ethan Noblesala, 32, from New York City, said his weight began to soar while he was working 'long hours' and averaging very little sleep as the CFO for a startup company. Food became a 'comfort and a convenience' for him, and he confessed that he didn't put much thought into how his lifestyle was affecting his body. 'I didn't really think about how it impacted my body. I wasn't tracking anything, and I wasn't fueling myself intentionally,' he explained during an exclusive chat with the Daily Mail. '[Food] was used as a way to network from happy hours to unhealthy late night meals.' At his heaviest, he weighed 235 pounds, and he struggled to do 'simple tasks' such as 'go up a flight of stairs or tie his shoes.' But everything changed in November 2023 after he was diagnosed with prediabetes. '[That] scared me. It made everything real,' he explained. 'I didn't want to head down a path that would only get worse with age. 'I wanted to feel better, move more freely, and be in control of my health.' He decided it was time to turn his life around, and he went on to lose a whopping 85 pounds in under a year. He explained to the Daily Mail that he started by focusing on 'small but consistent changes' like drinking more water, walking every day, and prioritizing sleep. 'I didn't do anything extreme overnight,' he dished. 'But over time, it snowballed.' Then, he revamped his diet - swapping out processed food for whole ingredients. He also started tracking his food intake and staying on a calorie deficit. While he loved playing sports as a child, staying active had fallen to the backburner due to his busy work schedule. But after he began to lose weight he got into playing pickleball, which reignited his love of fitness. 'As I got more confident, I added strength training and built a daily movement habit,' he continued. 'I also built a system to keep myself accountable... I completely restructured how I think about health. 'Now, I live an active lifestyle. I move every day, eat to fuel my body, and surround myself with people who also want to move and prioritize health.' As for the key to his success, he believes it was 'accountability and consistency.' 'I found ways to stay motivated, track my progress, and celebrate the small wins,' the fitness guru added. He said he now feels so much better both physically and mentally. 'I have more energy, I sleep better, and my mental health has improved significantly,' he gushed. 'I feel like I have control over my life again. That transformation gave me the clarity and purpose to build something that can help others do the same.' Ethan - who now weighs 150 pounds - recently co-founded WeFit Labs, 'a fitness platform that uses competition and community to help people stay on track with their health goals.'
Washington Post
10-07-2025
- Health
- Washington Post
CDC finds nearly 1 in 3 US youth have prediabetes, but experts question scant data
A new federal estimate shows a rise in prediabetes among American adolescents, a finding that is spurring concerns about the health of U.S. children — and the way Trump administration health officials are conducting research and communicating information, experts said. In 2023, nearly 1 in 3 U.S. youngsters ages 12 to 17 had prediabetes, according to recently released data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That is far higher than a previous estimate that the condition affects about 1 in 5 kids.
The Independent
10-07-2025
- Health
- The Independent
CDC finds nearly 1 in 3 US youth have prediabetes, but experts question scant data
A new federal estimate shows a rise in prediabetes among American adolescents, a finding that is spurring concerns about the health of U.S. children — and the way Trump administration health officials are conducting research and communicating information, experts said. In 2023, nearly 1 in 3 U.S. youngsters ages 12 to 17 had prediabetes, according to recently released data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That is far higher than a previous estimate that the condition affects about 1 in 5 kids. There's no question that prediabetes in U.S. youth is a serious concern. The condition puts them at risk for developing Type 2 diabetes, plus heart disease, stroke and other metabolic problems. But scientists who study and treat diabetes noted that CDC officials released only a 600-word online summary of their new findings — not the raw data nor a peer-reviewed published paper describing how they arrived at the new figure. The agency also changed the methodology used to calculate the higher estimate without a detailed explanation. That underscores questions about the accuracy of information being released by America's top public health agency following widespread staff cuts in recent months, experts said. 'For any of the national health organizations now being decimated by firings (and) layoffs, I am going to be skeptical of data updates until there is transparency and clarity on the source of the data and analysis,' said Christopher Gardner, an expert in diabetes and nutrition at Stanford University. The new analysis used 'the latest science and technologies' and 'the most updated methodology as science is continually evolving,' said Melissa Dibble, a CDC spokesperson. 'These new data highlight the magnitude of prediabetes among adolescents and serve as a critical wake-up call for the nation,' Dibble said in a statement. The new analysis relied on the long-running National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, which collects information on demographic and health indicators via interviews, examinations and laboratory testing. Prediabetes is a precursor to diabetes, a disease in which sugar builds up in the blood. Prediabetes is characterized by slightly elevated blood sugar levels, indicating that a person may progress to developing Type 2 diabetes. The researchers collected data about blood sugar levels in U.S. youth — but they also changed the methodology used to analyze the information, dramatically increasing the estimate of how common prediabetes is. The new analysis concludes that about 8.4 million U.S. adolescents — or nearly 33% — have prediabetes. That's up from an estimate of 18% published in a 2020 peer-reviewed paper, which used the previous methodology. If the new methodology had been applied to that 2005-2016 data, the estimate would have been about 28%. The increase from 28% to nearly 33% is not statistically significant, even though it reflects an apparent rise in prediabetes among kids, said Steven Kahn, a diabetes researcher at the UW Medicine in Seattle and editor-in-chief of the journal Diabetes Care. He said it's concerning that CDC officials provided such limited information about the new analysis. Such findings typically have been published in the agency's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report or submitted to a scientific journal for peer review and publication. 'I would like to believe it doesn't diminish the quality of CDC data," said Kahn. "However, because there's no raw data to look at, none of us can look at it to better understand where these numbers are derived from and what they really mean." Dr. Samar Hafida, an endocrinologist and representative for the American Diabetes Association, said the new analysis 'wasn't very transparent,' but she noted that the CDC's updated estimate generally squares with what doctors are seeing — an increase in youth with obesity and elevated blood sugar levels that put them at risk for serious future health problems. 'It could be that maybe the number slightly inflated, but I would hesitate to dismiss it,' she said. It remains unclear what proportion of kids with prediabetes will go on to develop the disease, noted Dr. Dana Dabelea, a researcher who studies pediatric diabetes at the University of Colorado. Blood sugar levels can rise in response to developmental changes during puberty and then resolve later, she said. Still, confirmed rates of obesity and diabetes among kids are rising. The diabetes association recommends that children and adolescents should be screened for Type 2 diabetes starting at age 10 if they are overweight or have obesity or another risk factor for the disease. Focusing on healthy diet, exercise and other lifestyle factors is key, noted Hafida. 'It's still a call to action," she said. 'There will likely be a surge in early onset Type 2 diabetes that we are not prepared to deal with.' ___ The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute's Department of Science Education and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
Associated Press
10-07-2025
- Health
- Associated Press
CDC finds nearly 1 in 3 US youth have prediabetes, but experts question scant data
A new federal estimate shows a rise in prediabetes among American adolescents, a finding that is spurring concerns about the health of U.S. children — and the way Trump administration health officials are conducting research and communicating information, experts said. In 2023, nearly 1 in 3 U.S. youngsters ages 12 to 17 had prediabetes, according to recently released data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That is far higher than a previous estimate that the condition affects about 1 in 5 kids. There's no question that prediabetes in U.S. youth is a serious concern. The condition puts them at risk for developing Type 2 diabetes, plus heart disease, stroke and other metabolic problems. But scientists who study and treat diabetes noted that CDC officials released only a 600-word online summary of their new findings — not the raw data nor a peer-reviewed published paper describing how they arrived at the new figure. The agency also changed the methodology used to calculate the higher estimate without a detailed explanation. That underscores questions about the accuracy of information being released by America's top public health agency following widespread staff cuts in recent months, experts said. 'For any of the national health organizations now being decimated by firings (and) layoffs, I am going to be skeptical of data updates until there is transparency and clarity on the source of the data and analysis,' said Christopher Gardner, an expert in diabetes and nutrition at Stanford University. The new analysis used 'the latest science and technologies' and 'the most updated methodology as science is continually evolving,' said Melissa Dibble, a CDC spokesperson. 'These new data highlight the magnitude of prediabetes among adolescents and serve as a critical wake-up call for the nation,' Dibble said in a statement. The new analysis relied on the long-running National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, which collects information on demographic and health indicators via interviews, examinations and laboratory testing. Prediabetes is a precursor to diabetes, a disease in which sugar builds up in the blood. Prediabetes is characterized by slightly elevated blood sugar levels, indicating that a person may progress to developing Type 2 diabetes. The researchers collected data about blood sugar levels in U.S. youth — but they also changed the methodology used to analyze the information, dramatically increasing the estimate of how common prediabetes is. The new analysis concludes that about 8.4 million U.S. adolescents — or nearly 33% — have prediabetes. That's up from an estimate of 18% published in a 2020 peer-reviewed paper, which used the previous methodology. If the new methodology had been applied to that 2005-2016 data, the estimate would have been about 28%. The increase from 28% to nearly 33% is not statistically significant, even though it reflects an apparent rise in prediabetes among kids, said Steven Kahn, a diabetes researcher at the UW Medicine in Seattle and editor-in-chief of the journal Diabetes Care. He said it's concerning that CDC officials provided such limited information about the new analysis. Such findings typically have been published in the agency's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report or submitted to a scientific journal for peer review and publication. 'I would like to believe it doesn't diminish the quality of CDC data,' said Kahn. 'However, because there's no raw data to look at, none of us can look at it to better understand where these numbers are derived from and what they really mean.' Dr. Samar Hafida, an endocrinologist and representative for the American Diabetes Association, said the new analysis 'wasn't very transparent,' but she noted that the CDC's updated estimate generally squares with what doctors are seeing — an increase in youth with obesity and elevated blood sugar levels that put them at risk for serious future health problems. 'It could be that maybe the number slightly inflated, but I would hesitate to dismiss it,' she said. It remains unclear what proportion of kids with prediabetes will go on to develop the disease, noted Dr. Dana Dabelea, a researcher who studies pediatric diabetes at the University of Colorado. Blood sugar levels can rise in response to developmental changes during puberty and then resolve later, she said. Still, confirmed rates of obesity and diabetes among kids are rising. The diabetes association recommends that children and adolescents should be screened for Type 2 diabetes starting at age 10 if they are overweight or have obesity or another risk factor for the disease. Focusing on healthy diet, exercise and other lifestyle factors is key, noted Hafida. 'It's still a call to action,' she said. 'There will likely be a surge in early onset Type 2 diabetes that we are not prepared to deal with.' ___ The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute's Department of Science Education and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
