Children should not be treated as little adults… unless…

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It is not uncommon to hear a pediatrician say that children should not be treated as if they were simply small adults. There may be a few exceptions to this train of thought. As the obesity epidemic continues, overweight children are beginning to suffer associated disorders at an alarming rate including, but not limited to, elevated cholesterol, hypertension, diabetes, sleep apnea, and depression. These disorders were once thought to only be common only in adults.

Kershnar et al report that a substantial proportion of young patients with diabetes have abnormal lipids and, furthermore, the prevalence is even higher in children with type 2 diabetes. These patients also tended to be either overweight or at risk for being overweight. Most were not being treated for elevated lipids.

Children with diabetes should have their lipids and weight evaluated and treated as necessary to help avoid the complications that used to be seen only in adults.