| ■ Diabetes, obesity on rise for children in China | 2007.11.16 |
| BEIJNG (Reuters) - More Chinese children are becoming overweight and prone to diet-related diseases like diabetes due to unhealthy lifestyles and high stress linked to their studies, state media reported on Thursday, citing a top health official. More than one in five children were classified as obese and over 2 percent suffered type 2 diabetes, the China Daily said, citing a survey of 17,311 children aged eight to 18 by the Beijing Children's hospital. Type 1 diabetes, a genetic condition, is the most common form of diabetes in children, whereas Type 2 diabetes is linked with poor diet and a lack of exercise and is far more prevalent in adults. "The number of children with type 2 diabetes has risen sharply in recent years," Kong said. "The figures reflect the trend that the number of children suffering from type 2 diabetes might soon exceed the number of those with type 1 diabetes," the paper quoted Kong Lingzhi, deputy director of the Disease Prevention and Control Bureau under the Ministry of Health, as saying. |