Nutritional Management of the Overweight Child With Type 2 Diabetes

Abstract

In light of the strong association between excess weight and type 2 diabetes, the nutritional management of the child with type 2 diabetes often focuses on changing dietary and physical activity habits to normalize weight, instill long-term healthy habits, and provide glycemic control. A multidisciplinary approach to the treatment of childhood obesity should include the child's family and caregivers to be most effective. Weight goals in children should be based on the age of the child, the extent of overweight, and the presence of complications. Likewise, physical activity is an important component of treatment and should be titrated to the child's age, ability and overweight status. Efforts to avoid the development of obesity, and potentially type 2 diabetes, should be started early in the child's life. Education and fostering a healthy lifestyle during childhood is the best defense to slow down or reverse the obesity epidemic in our society that is now affecting even the youngest of children, setting them up for potentially life-threatening diseases in the future.