More and more cases of type 2 diabetes involve children as young as five years old, with doctors struggling to find better treatments for children with scandalously obese children.
Data from the National Diabetes Services Scheme (NDSS) show that there are up to 209 cases of children aged 15 or younger with type 2 diabetes.
According to NDSS, what used to be more common in adults over 45 is now affecting an increasing number of children and adolescents.
When asked about the increased number of diabetes cases among children, the Director of Endocrinology at Lady Cilento Children's Hospital, Jerry Wales, said that what used to be a rarity is now a disturbing trend.
A notable case was that of a nine-year-old boy from Queensland who was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and weighed 178 kg.
Data from the National Diabetes Services Scheme (NDSS) show that there are up to 209 cases of children aged 15 or younger with type 2 diabetes (stock image)
& # 39; Type 2 diabetes in young people is not mild diabetes. If you get it at less than 30 years of age, your standard mortality rate is six times the average. You will lose 20 to 30 years of life, "he told The Courier-Mail.
Type 2 diabetes is a progressive disease in which the body becomes resistant to the effects of insulin or gradually loses the ability to produce insulin. According to Diabetes Australia, it accounts for 85 to 90 percent of all diabetes cases.
In its 2017 figures, the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) stated that approximately 425 million adults have diabetes and that type 2 diabetes was on the rise in most countries.
The IDF also added that more than 1,106,500 children had Type 1 diabetes alone.
Although there is no specific cause for type 2 diabetes, research shows that it has links to family history and is also determined by the lifestyle of the individual.
Genetic risks are also notably higher among Aboriginal and Torres Straight islanders.
Associate Professor Ashim Sinha, Director of Endocrinology at Cairns Hospital, also spoke with The Courier Mail of his experiences while operating an outreach service to communities in North Queensland and the Torres Strait Island Region.
Genetic risks are also notably higher among Aboriginal and Torres Straight islanders (stock image)
According to Sinha, the youngest case of type 2 diabetes she had was a five-year-old indigenous girl. The girl was born to a mother who also had diabetes, along with a family history of type 2.
He added that this was just one of the many cases of type 2 diabetes he saw among children.
"We see everything from kidney failure, cardiovascular diseases and amputations at an early age," he said. & # 39; A child whom I diagnosed with Type 2 at age 13 … I saw him the other day at Cairns Base [hospital] and now he is 32 years old and lost both legs. We have seen teens minor amputations, missing a pair of toes, for example.
Medication options may be limited for young patients under 16 years of age.