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Prevention

By Mayo Clinic staff

Controlling Your Diabetes

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Healthy lifestyle choices can help prevent type 2 diabetes in children and its complications. And, if your child already has type 2 diabetes, lifestyle changes can reduce the need for medications. Encourage your child to:

  • Eat healthy foods. Offer your child foods low in fat and calories. Focus on fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Strive for variety to prevent boredom.
  • Get more physical activity. Encourage your child to get active. Sign up for a sports team or dance lessons, or look for active things to do together.
  • Lose excess pounds. Help your child make permanent changes in his or her eating and exercise habits.

Better yet, make it a family affair. The same lifestyle choices that can help prevent type 2 diabetes in children can do the same for adults. The best diet for a child with diabetes is also the best diet for the whole family.

Keeping your child's eyes healthy
If your child already has type 2 diabetes, be sure to schedule an annual eye exam to look for early signs of eye disease.

Coping and support
References
  1. Rosenbloom AL, et al. ISPAD clinical practice consensus guidelines 2009 compendium — Type 2 diabetes in children and adolescents. Pediatric Diabetes. 2009;10(suppl):17.
  2. Your guide to diabetes: Type 1 and type 2. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. http://diabetes.niddk.nih.gov/dm/pubs/type1and2/. Accessed Jan. 10, 2011.
  3. Diabetes mellitus. The Merck Manuals: The Merck Manual for Healthcare Professionals. http://www.merckmanuals.com/professional/sec12/ch158/ch158b.html#sec12-ch158-ch158b-1105. Accessed Jan. 13, 2011.
  4. Standards of medical care in diabetes — 2011. Diabetes Care. 2011;34(suppl):1.
  5. Simms-Robinson C, et al. How does diabetes accelerate Alzheimer disease pathology? Nature Reviews: Neurology. 2010;6:551.
  6. Laffel L, et al. Management of type 2 diabetes mellitus in children and adolescents. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.htm. Accessed Jan. 19, 2011.
  7. Ketoacidosis. American Diabetes Association. http://www.diabetes.org/type-1-diabetes/ketoacidosis.jsp. Accessed Jan. 14, 2011.
  8. Natural Medicines in the Clinical Management of Diabetes. Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database. http://www.naturaldatabase.com. Accessed Dec. 2, 2010.
  9. Shapiro S, et al. The role of complementary and alternative therapies in pediatric diabetes. Endocrinology and Metabolism Clinics of North America. 2009;38:791.
  10. Copeland K, et al. Management of newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in children and adolescents. Pediatrics. 2013;131:364.
DS00946 March 9, 2013

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