Type 2 Diabetes Community Analysis

Childhood obesity is a health problem that is becoming increasingly prevalent in society’s youth. For a number of years, children across the nation have become accustomed to occasionally participating in physical activities and regularly snacking on sugary treats. In result of these tendencies, approximately one third of American children are currently overweight or obese (Goodwin). These grim statistics effectively represent all the lack of adult interference, in regards to health, has done to the youth of America. The habits of over consuming foods and under participating in physical activities are all too common in the children of today. Children cannot solve this issue alone, though. These young people need to essentially be given the

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Health has become a very popular topic in today’s society; how to lose weight, healthy body mass index, proper foods to eat to give your body nutrition, certain exercises to help lose weight here or gain muscle there, lower prices for a gym memberships, it seems to be a topic we are hearing about all the time now. However, there seems to lack of conversation about the health of the younger generation. Obesity among children is a growing problem in today’s society (Ogden, Carroll, Lawman, Fryar, Kruszon-Moran, Kit 2015).

Obesity in America is literally a growing problem, affecting every age group. Children are the most venerable group because they have no control over where they have dinner or how often they have fast food. Parents and guardians make decisions about food and are responsible for the health of children. Childhood obesity has more than doubled in the last twenty years. This is concerning because Type Two diabetes is a horrible, crippling disease that is affecting children and teens dramatically whereas the disease was primarily seen in adults. Children are said to have a shorter life span than their parents for the first time ever. In the United States sixty-six percent of adults are overweight and one in

“The physical and emotional health of an entire generation and the economic health and security of our nation is at stake” a quote made by the First Lady, Michelle Obama, as she launches her comprehensive initiative to change the way children think about nutrition and physical fitness (“Learn the Facts,” 2010). Three decades ago, children lived active lives that kept them healthier. They walked to and from school, ate home cooked, reasonable portion meals with vegetables and played outdoors most of the time. Today, children ride the bus instead of walk, eat more fast food and snacks throughout the day because parents are busier, and watch more television or play video games rather than be active outside with peers (“Learn the Facts,” 2010). Young children are becoming overweight and obese along with being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes more frequently. They are making poor dietary choices, inadequate physical activity, and spending too much screen time all contributing to the obesity crisis. One of the effective solutions to reversing the trend of childhood obesity is to provide safe, affordable and accessible after-school health and physical fitness educational programs for all school ages across the nation.

The increase in the prevalence of type 2 diabetes is causing huge health problem through out the world including developed countries. Mostly people with low income groups are affected in developed countries (Zimmet 2001).The magnitude of the healthcare problem of type 2 diabetes results mainly from its association with obesity and cardiovascular risk factors. Indeed, type 2 diabetes has now been identified as one manifestation of the “metabolic syndrome”, a condition characterised by insulin resistance and associated with a range of cardiovascular factors (Jonathan 2003)

Helen Keller once said, “All the world is full of suffering. It is also full of overcoming.” Throughout life each person will face obstacles, but will only be defined by how they overcome or fail. In today’s society health and wellness has become such a challenge. Many things in our environment, social status, financial position, and culture can affect what we eat and our health status. Families in many countries are facing new onset of diseases and disorders, in which modern medicine now has the ability to combat to prolong good quality of life. Through research and education, families are now being able to understand juvenile diabetes. As a result, children are being able to live more normal lives.

Childhood obesity affects 12.5 million children and teens and this has continued to increase over the years because the heaviest are getting even heavier (“CDC Grand Rounds: Childhood Obesity in the United States.”). Obesity is a growing disease in the United States and it is only getting worse. Data has presented in a new study that 8 year old are having problems with their hearts, as obesity has taken over America. Of 20 obese children, 40% had enlarged hearts, therefore letting us know that the organ is strained. Children now are setting themselves up for longterm heart failure and disease and more and more children will undergo this problem if they do not make a change. Type 2 diabetes is becoming more common, in the 1980’s, this was unheard

Children can reduce the risk of being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes by changing their eating habits and participate in physical activity. Weight in children has become a great concern because more children are becoming overweight or obese, hence increases the number of cases of children being exposed for pre-diabetes or already have the disease. According to Wilson, type 2 diabetes is more common in individuals with a family history of diabetes and in young female adults (2013). Furthermore, when children are diagnosed with this disease it places them more at risk for other non-communicable diseases such as heart disease. Hence, they are at higher risk for cardiovascular disease and blindness. Children with the presence of insulin resistance have a high risk for type 2 diabetes. Most of the children affected are minority overweight children (International Journal of Obesity, 2009).

Obesity characteristics include having metabolic syndrome for risk factors diseases such as cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes (Feizi, et. al, 2015). The prevalence in type 2 diabetes is becoming a significant problem in the United States. In fact since the 1990’s, only 1 -2 % of children with diabetes mellitus had type 2 diabetes and rates have grown since then (Rodbard, 2008). To help reduce the prevalence of these disorders, the Diabetes and Obesity Program at the Children’s Hospital Los Angeles has made important contributions to people that live in the Los Angeles County. The Diabetes and Obesity Program at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles develops, implements, and promotes innovative and effective strategies to combat both adolescent and adult diabetes and obesity (Diabetes and Obesity Program, 2016). Through the coalition building model and the transtheoretical model, they have different effects in outcomes on these conditions.

America's children are not getting enough exercise, and the health risks due to obesity are becoming epidemic in nature. Even First Lady Michelle Obama is supporting an initiative to help children become more active and to provide for exercise (at least 30-60 minutes per day) in all schools. Even limited amounts of exercise can have great health benefits. When humans exercise, the brain produces chemicals that help enhance mood, limit cravings for sugars, and contribute to healthier joints, muscles, the heart, and kidneys. In turn, this translates into more productive work time, the ability to sleep better, increase memory, and reduce dependence on medications. Children are so vulnerable to this health risk that if it continues, over 60% of graduating seniors will be clinically obese. Written by a medical journalist, the book is designed for the lay reader but has a number of documented scholarly sources.

Therefore, the magnitude of health need is not due to the lack of any of the WHO recommendations. The WHO recommends that countries have specific policies, guideline, and monitoring strategies. Australia implements five of the recommended seven policies (WHO, 2016), while the United States only implements four (WHO, 2016). The policy that Australia enacts but America forgoes is the Diabetes Registry. Although a diabetes registry would be useful for furfure policy making and intervention strategies, the absence of said registry would not account for the prevalence of American Children being nearly 100% greater than Australia’s prevalence statistic. The root cause for difference in prevalence is also indicated in the respective countries WHO Diabetes Profile 2016. Outlined in these profiles are related risk factors to diabetes. According to the WHO Australia Diabetes Profile 2016 25.8% of Australian children report being inactive, while the WHO American Diabetes Profile 2016 reports 35.0% of American children being inactive. Degree of inactivity is a social determinant of type two diabetes. 150 minutes per week of physical activity has proven to lower the risk of impaired glucose tolerance to type two diabetes by 58%. (Sigal et al., 2006). Sedentary lifestyles are more indicative of children living in poverty due to the family’s inability to enroll their children in organized sport. Approximately 15% of American children live below the poverty threshold while nearly two percent of Australian children are reported to live below the poverty

Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) is one of the fastest growing chronic diseases affecting children ages 6 to 11 worldwide (Montgomery, Johnson & Ewell, 2015). This recent development is occurring at an alarming rate, with numbers expected to quadruple by the year 2050 (Montgomery, et al., 2015). Without timely intervention from the healthcare system, this condition could have a devastating effect on the health outcomes of children across North America. Many studies have identified some common factors that put youth at major risk for developing T2DM, with childhood obesity, physical inactivity, low socioeconomic status, and lack of knowledge and access to healthy food choices among the leading causes (Dean & Sellers, 2015; Montgomery et al., 2015). There are many opportunities for Community Health Nurses (CHNs) to play a role in health promotion within this population. This paper will address the social factors contributing to adolescent T2DM, the current role of CHNs in addressing this condition, and ways to ensure these children have adequate access to health care.

Sporting events, church activities, chores, playing and homework take up most of a child’s waking hours. The monitoring and treatment of this disease affects everything the child does and in turn affects the entire family. Keeping the insulin levels within normal limits requires diligent monitoring of blood glucose levels and managing the child’s diet is extremely important. When blood glucose levels fall out of the normal range the main treatment for Type 1 Diabetes requires insulin therapy. The Insulin therapy is needed to replace or supplement what insulin the body can’t provide. Some factors that affect blood glucose levels are: insulin, food, activity, exercise, and stress ( Daneman, Frank & Perlman,1999). Because of the difficulties that families with child diabetes face it is hard for the families not to revolve everything they do around the child. Although there is no easy answer to this problem HK Akerblom explains it well,“ Insulin therapy should be fitted into the daily schedule and way of life of the child and the family, rather than the child and family living their lives according to a strict timetable determined by the insulin therapy”(1998).

What was once thought to be found only among adults has become one of the most common chronic diseases among children in the United States. Ordinarily, when diabetes strikes during childhood it is assumed to be type 1. The SEARCH for Diabetes in Youth Study began in 2000 and has provided the most comprehensive estimates of the prevalence and incidence of type 2 diabetes among youth less than 20 years of age in the US (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2014). The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reports that annually, an estimated 18,436 youth are diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, and 5,089 youth are diagnosed with type 2 among youth. In the last two decades, type 2 diabetes, has been reported among U.S. children and adolescents with increasing frequency. Disease researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention made the prediction that one in three children born in the United States in 2000 will likely develop type 2 diabetes sometime in their lifetime unless they get more exercise and improve their diets, particularly for Latino children (CDC, 2014). Without changes in diet and exercise, their odds of developing diabetes as they grow older was about 50-50.