I am sure most of you have heard that Type 2 Diabetes (what used to be called Adult Onset Diabetes) is on the rise in children. (Type 2 is the one where the cells in the pancreas that produce insulin just wear out because they have had to deal with so much sugar). So...with all of the sugar in the American diet, children are wearing out their pancreas at younger and younger ages. That is bad enough...
However, a new study suggests children (kids ages 7-11 ... so really! we are talking about young kids) with poor blood sugar regulation have 4-5% less bone mass. This is the age kids should be building bones! How are they going to be able to avoid having hip and wrist fractures at 50, let alone 70, if they have weaker bones at 11.
This makes me want to cry and gets me MAD all at once!!! We are choosing to let our children drink sodas (that contribute to the diabetes)! We are not encouraging them to drink milk (to provide the calcium and vitamin D necessary to build strong bones)!! We are not MAKING them go outside and run around (to stimulate bone formation AND to make their bodies more sensitive to insulin in the first place)!! We are not doing these things for ourselves (not modeling the behavior) and we are not creating an environment where they have to participate in the decisions that will allow them to grow up healthy and strong!!
What is wrong with us? Are you mad about this? Are you doing something about it in your own home? Are you setting a good example for the kids who wouldn't otherwise have one???
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