Children & Type 2 Diabetes: Detection Early

Type 2 diabetes is rising sharply in children (especially between 14 to 18 years.)

I’m not talking about Type 1. I’m talking about Type 2 diabetes which is entirely lifestyle-driven and preventable.

If you have a healthy child at home… And if someone in your family already has diabetes.

Please remember these three early warning signs and three essential actions.

First, look for the earliest signal → a dark neck

Gently check your child’s neck. If you see Slight blackness Thickened or deepened folds when the neck is tilted. Please do an insulin test immediately, even if sugar reports are normal.

Because sugar can remain normal for years while insulin quietly rises.

Here’s how to interpret fasting insulin

Up to 6 → normal, nothing to worry

6 to 10 → worry number 1 → mild insulin resistance

Above 10 → worry number 10 → severe insulin resistance

Once you find this, don’t panic. Just start the SPC Routine.

S – Sleep Time

↳ Fix the sleep timing for the entire family.

↳ Dinner before 9 pm (ideally much earlier)

↳ No screens after 9 pm for everyone - grandparents, spouse, children, all

↳ Some unpleasant conversations may happen, let them happen. Short-term comfort should not create long-term metabolic problems.

↳ Everyone sleeps by 10 pm. Good sleep improves insulin sensitivity.

P – Play Time

↳ Children need one full hour of uninterrupted play.

↳ Not screen time - Not classes.

↳ Pure physical play that activates muscles and stimulates the brain from different angles and intensities.

Football, basketball, cycling, skating, group play… anything that moves the body and frees the mind.

This one hour naturally balances hormones and protects them from insulin resistance.

C – Cheat Time

↳ Fix cheat time once a week, not every day.

Whatever the argument, face it. In today’s time, parents are afraid of unpleasant conversations but saying “yes” to every demand is more harmful.

Maggi, sweets, Zomato-Swiggy orders. All of this becomes manageable when cheat day is fixed.

Let’s catch insulin resistance early.

Let’s save our children from Type 2 diabetes.

Courtesy: Dr. Pramod Tripathi