A Consultant Endocrinoligist, Dr. Sule Bathner, has attributed the increase in the manifestation of Type-2 diabetes on adolescent children, to frequent consumption of high-sugar-content food items.
Speaking on Saturday in Bauchi at the monthly meeting of Diabetes Association of Nigeria, Bauchi State branch, the consultant observed that in the past, adolescents were known for only Type-1 diabetes, while Type-2 manifested mostly in adults.
He said: “Children used to be known for Type-1 diabetes, which has to do with the malfunction of the pancreas.
“Type-2 diabetes, a condition whereby the insulin produced by pancreas, is either insufficient, or is enough but not serving its purpose, manifests mostly in adults,
“What is happening these days is that children feed a lot on food items with high sugar content, thereby over-tasking their pancreas at a very tender age.
“With time, the pancreas becomes over-worked, resulting in the manifestation of Type-2 diabetes in children at an age they ought not to encounter such problem.”
Bathner, who is also the Head of Department of Medicine, Federal Medical Centre, Gombe, therefore cautioned parents against allowing their children to feed frequently on food items with high sugar content.
In her remarks, the National Secretary of DAN, Hajiya Uwa Shehu, lamented that most ‘food flasks’ of Nursery and Primary school pupils, were often filled with ‘sweet’ food items.
Shehu said: “At a meeting of the association in Suleja on August 29, it was observed that adolescents feed frequently on food items with high sugar content.
“It was noted that most food flasks of school children, contain such food items, especially fast-foods and snacks, with the situation attaining a frightening dimension of competition among parents.
“The association is therefore cautioning parents to be wary of such food items, in the interest of the good health of their children.”
The Chairman of DAN, Bauchi State branch, Mariam Iliya, advised people with the ailment to be wary of anything ‘sweet’ in the mouth.
“The recommended slogan now is ‘anything sweet in the mouth is detrimental to your (diabetes patient’s) health and anything bitter, is good for you,” Iliya said.
Trending
- Minister summons Lead British International School over bullying allegation
- Sex scandal : We won’t oppose any sanction against lecturer -UNN-ASUU
- Sanwo-Olu unveils EKO CARES
- UNN suspends lecturer for alleged sexual misconduct, begins probe
- Oyo LG honours Archbishop Ladigbolu, names road after late father, Akee Obayanritan
- Kogi Assembly blasts EFCC, demands removal of ‘wanted’ from Yahaya Bello’s name
- Zamfara: Passengers overpower bandits, kill one, seize two AK-47 rifles
- Aston Villa confirm new Unai Emery contract until 2027