Urban kids in diabetes timebomb

Survey results show that children living in inner city areas are at a hugely increased risk of becoming obese and developing Type 2 diabetes. The study, conducted by researchers at the University of Leicester, shows that only 37 per cent of children in an urban area walked to school, compared to 67 per cent of suburban children in a previous study.

Inactive lifestyles can increase the likelihood of obesity and contribute to the development of Type 2 diabetes. The study, presented today at the Diabetes UK Annual Professional Conference, also showed that 47 per cent of pupils who responded to the survey admitted to spending more than four hours per day watching television or videos or playing computer games.86 per cent of the children surveyed were from South Asian backgrounds. People from South Asian communities are up to six times more likely to develop Type 2 diabetes and have an increased risk of developing cardiovascular disease. The lack of physical activity is an important factor in contributing further risk.Lead researcher Dr Kamlesh Khunti, from the University of Leicester said,”With this study we wanted to look at the characteristics of children who live a sedentary lifestyle and the impact of demographics on their health. It is quite clear that children living in urban areas are not doing enough exercise. These dire levels of physical activity in urban youngsters need to be addressed, particularly with South Asian children who we know are already more genetically prone to obesity, cardiovascular disease and Type 2 diabetes.”The research was presented at the Diabetes UK Annual Professional Conference in Birmingham. The survey was conducted in five inner-city schools in a deprived area of Leicester with 3150 pupils aged 11-15 years.Douglas Smallwood, Chief Executive at Diabetes UK said,”This research confirms a very worrying trend and highlights issues that are of crucial importance to today’s youth. The link between obesity and Type 2 diabetes is well documented. 80 per cent of people with Type 2 diabetes are overweight or obese at diagnosis. Type 2 diabetes in children is already recognised as a major problem in the United States. Unless we take action now to have our children eating a more healthy diet and doing more exercise we will follow the American example and the prevalence of Type 2 diabetes in children will only increase. The potential long term impact of this is frightening, both in terms of impact on the children and the cost of dealing with it.”Type 2 diabetes is a serious condition that can lead to heart disease, stroke, blindness, kidney damage and amputations if not properly managed. Until recently, the condition was only diagnosed in adults over the age of 40. It is now thought that there are up to 1,000 children with Type 2 diabetes in the UK.(Source: University of Leicester: May 2006.)