“Does diet cause a child to get diabetes?”
My 11 year old son was diagnosed with diabetes yesterday. I feel very sad as a mother. Does diet cause a child to get diabetes?
3 Answers
PediatricianEndocrinology-Diabetes
No, generally if he is not obese
It is genetic
Dr Norwood
(Autoimmune)
It is genetic
Dr Norwood
(Autoimmune)
Only if he is on a high carbohydrate diet and overweight with the subsequent development of insulin resistance (which we are seeing more of these days). Most patients that develop diabetes at that young age however, are type I Diabetics, or insulin deficient diabetics. This type of diabetes is caused by the inability of the pancreas to produce any more insulin and is not related to diet. Just as the thyroid can stop producing thyroid hormone, the pancreas can stop producing insulin. Often, this can be due to a preceding viral illness, autoimmune destruction of the pancreas, or genetically determined shortened lifespan of the pancreatic Beta cells that produce insulin.
It depends on the type of diabetes. Type 2 diabetes mellitus is related to high consumption of carbohydrates and junk food. Type 1 diabetes mellitus is an autoimmune disease NOT related to diet.
