Obese children should pay attention to the close relationship between obesity and type 2 diabetes. Obesity can reduce the body's sensitivity to insulin and increase insulin resistance. Under normal circumstances, insulin can help cells take up glucose, thereby reducing blood sugar. However, obese children's fat cells become larger, releasing substances that can interfere with insulin's function, making it difficult for insulin to effectively transport glucose into cells, leading to an increase in blood sugar. In the long run, if the pancreas is overloaded and insulin secretion problems occur, it is easy to cause diabetes. With the global prevalence of obesity among children and adolescents, the prevalence of type 2 diabetes among adolescents has increased significantly. Teenagers with diabetes often have bad eating habits. They consume too many calories but consume too little for a long time. They like to eat foods with high sugar, fat and calories, such as hamburgers and chips, and lack of exercise. Similar to adult symptoms, children and adolescents need to be alert to the occurrence of diabetes when they have symptoms such as polyuria, polydipsia, overeating, weight loss, etc. Specifically, it means that the frequency of urination has significantly increased compared to before, leading to symptoms of thirst and excessive drinking of water; The appetite has increased compared to before, but the weight has decreased or grown slowly instead of increasing. In addition, if children are prone to fatigue, weakness, and poor mental state, parents also need to pay attention. The slow healing of the child's wound or repeated infection, such as skin furuncle, urinary system infection, may also be a signal of diabetes. If a child experiences these conditions, it is recommended that parents take the child to medical attention in a timely manner for the next step of diagnosis. In the long run, sustained high blood sugar can affect a child's growth and development. It not only interferes with normal growth hormone secretion, causing slow height growth and poor bone development in children, but also increases the risk of chronic complications. Can some children with diabetes or diabetes in children and adolescents be reversed? We first need to clarify the classification of diabetes. If it is type 1 diabetes, it is usually irreversible, and children need to rely on insulin therapy for life. However, if some children with type 2 diabetes are found in time, they can make a clear diagnosis when the function of pancreatic islet β cells has not been seriously damaged in the early stage. Through lifestyle intervention and other treatment measures, it is possible to maintain the blood sugar at or near the normal level without relying on drugs. However, if children with type 2 diabetes already have impaired islet function, they may need to take hypoglycemic drugs for a long time. What are the differences in prevention and treatment between children and adolescents with diabetes and adults with diabetes? Firstly, children and adolescents are in the stage of growth and development, and it is particularly important to cultivate healthy lifestyle habits. Children and adolescents with diabetes cannot control their blood sugar by over dieting, and they should ensure adequate intake of protein, vitamins and other nutrients. Secondly, children and adolescents with diabetes should pay more attention to psychological adjustment. Children and adolescents have relatively weak psychological endurance, and their acceptance of diabetes and related diet control and treatment is different from that of adults. They may have more resistance, and may also have inferiority complex due to diabetes. Thirdly, in the selection of therapeutic drugs, children and adolescents have higher safety requirements for medication. Some hypoglycemic drugs used by adults may not be suitable for children and adolescents due to potential side effects. Children and adolescents with diabetes are mainly treated with insulin. For children and adolescents over 10 years old with type 2 diabetes, metformin can also be used under the guidance of doctors. Fourthly, blood sugar control targets are different. The goal of blood glucose control in children and adolescents with type 2 diabetes is generally stricter than that in adults, because abnormal blood glucose will affect their growth and development. Pay attention to early prevention and treatment of children and adolescents with type 2 diabetes. The specific methods are as follows. In terms of diet, parents should arrange their children's daily calorie intake reasonably based on factors such as age, gender, and activity level; Encourage children to eat less high sugar, high-fat, and high salt foods, such as candies, fried foods, and pickled foods; Ensure children's dietary diversity by increasing their intake of vegetables, fruits (pay attention to sugar content), whole grains, and high-quality protein. In terms of exercise, children and adolescents can engage in at least one hour of moderate intensity aerobic exercise every day, such as brisk walking, jogging, cycling, etc; It is also possible to engage in some strength training, such as push ups, sit ups, etc., which can help increase muscle mass and improve insulin sensitivity. At the same time, parents should pay attention to increasing the fun of sports and make them more attractive to their children through games and other means. Children and adolescents with a family history of diabetes or obesity should regularly check their fasting blood glucose and postprandial blood glucose in order to find abnormal blood glucose early. It is recommended that children and adolescents regularly measure their height, weight, blood pressure, blood lipids, etc., and comprehensively evaluate their health status. Author: Man Fuli from the Endocrinology Department of Beijing Hospital