No wonder type 2 diabetes is surging among young people – chicken nuggets and chips are cheaper than vegetables
• Dr Camilla Kingdon is president of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health
Historically, seeing a child with type 2 diabetes would have been almost unheard of for a paediatrician like me. Data now shows that is no longer the case, with the number of children being treated at paediatric diabetes units in England and Wales jumping by more than 50% in the last five years.
As is too often the case, children living in the most deprived areas are most affected. It’s no coincidence that these areas also have the highest rates of food insecurity and childhood obesity. The rising numbers of obese children and young adults across the UK has resulted in a rise in type 2 diabetes cases among those aged 18 to 39.
