Review Article on obesity as a contributor to Type-2 Diabetes Mellitus among adolescents
Author(s): Bhavya Rajeshwari and Guddi Laishram*
Abstract
Worldwide, the incidence of obesity causing the incidence of diabetes has been increasing in young adults. This has resulted in an epidemic of diabetes among the young in several countries, which earlier used to be just a disease more common in adults around 30-40 years of age or beyond. Adolescents nowadays are not involved in any outdoor activities or sports, are eating more junk foods rather than healthy and fibrous foods, spending more time on gadgets, sitting in one place, there is no movement at all, and are experiencing more psychological disturbances because of stress, pressure from peers and parents. In obesity, there is an increase in fat deposition in the body which is directly linked with an increase in insulin resistance, which is one of the causative factor of Type II diabetes Mellitus. Another reason which also causes obesity induced Type II Diabetes Mellitus is disturbance in beta-cell function of the pancreas. This issue has become one of the most severe problems worldwide and is also one of the issues which can be easily controlled just by spreading awareness, making people realise the importance of prevention and motivating them to actively act against it. Weight loss is one of the major steps in curbing the initiation of diabetes mellitus in young adults. One of the most important reasons for preventing this is that during adolescence, usually obesity induced diabetes remains asymptomatic, but as they grow in age, there is an increase in the chances of getting severe symptoms as well as an increase in the chance of complications and acquiring severe diseases.