A decade ago, it was a rare occurrence for a child to be diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. Unfortunately, it’s not so rare anymore. Researchers are trying to find the causes of diabetes in children with a sense of urgency as the number of people under the age of 20 diagnosed with type 2 diabetes continues to rise exponentially. Conventional wisdom used to be that if someone under age 20 had diabetes, it was type 1, or juvenile-onset diabetes. But the CDC now reports the number of people under age 20 with diabetes is approaching 200,000, and the causes of diabetes in children is taking on new importance.

What are the Risk Factors for Type 2 Diabetes in Children?

Although the exact causes of diabetes in children aren’t completely understood, some of the risk factors for children developing type 2 diabetes are the same as they are for …