Diabetes in kids has been around for many decades. However, the type of diabetes in kids is beginning to shift and change due to the unhealthy diets and lifestyles of our children today.

To understand diabetes in kids, it is necessary to understand the two different types of diabetes mellitus. Traditionally, children diagnosed with diabetes were diagnosed with type I diabetes. Type I diabetes (also previously known as juvenile onset, childhood onset, or insulin dependent) occurs when the pancreas does not produce enough of the insulin hormone. Insulin is the hormone used to assist the cells in metabolizing blood sugar. Without this hormone, it is not possible for the cells to absorb and use blood sugar.

In our society today, more and more children are being diagnosed with type II diabetes each year. In previous decades, type II diabetes was also known as adult onset, non-insulin dependent or insulin resistant …