
Type 2 diabetes increasingly affects the young and slim; here’s what we should do about it
Type 2 diabetes increasingly affects the young and slim; here’s what we should do about it
August 15, 2016 4.07pm EDT
It is well recognised that increasing rates of type 2 diabetes are mainly driven by obesity and lifestyle factors. But that’s not the whole story. Genetics and epigenetics – changes in gene expression – also play an important role.
We are starting to see an increase in type 2 diabetes in leaner people at a much younger age than usually associated with the disease. This means in addition to focusing on good diet and exercise, we need better awareness of groups most at risk of type 2 diabetes.
These include many ethnic groups, women with a history of gestational diabetes and people with a family history of diabetes. In my clinical practice, I have seen teenagers and even children as young as seven, as well as younger patients of Asian, African and Middle Eastern origin with type 2 diabetes.
Among Indigenous people in Central Australia, rates of diabetes are some of the worst in the world, at around three times that of non-Indigenous people. Studies in some remote communities suggest a prevalence of type 2 diabetes of up to 30%, compared to a rate of around 5% in the non-Indigenous population.
All this indicates lifestyle decisions alone can’t be responsible. We need to stop the blame and shame for a condition that has an association with lifestyle, but for many is a consequence of the toxic mix of genetics and modern life.
More than just lifestyle changes
Type 2 diabetes accounts for more than 90% of all diabetes cases and affects mainly middle-aged
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