Diabetes Children FAQ

My child has always had s "sweet tooth." Did this cause his diabetes?

Eating sugar and sweets does not cause diabetes. This is a common myth that's simply not true. Research is still being done, but no one knows exactly why children develop diabetes. Type 1 diabetes, formerly known as juvenile-onset diabetes, is the result of the body's autoimmune system attacking the insulin-producing cells in the pancreas. Insulin is a hormone that helps cells in the body convert glucose into energy. Without insulin, the glucose remains in the blood and rises to dangerous levels. Type 2 diabetes used to be known as adult-onset diabetes, but is being diagnosed more and more often in children. In type 2 diabetes, the body either does not produce enough insulin or the cells ignore it, with the result being the same as type 1 diabetes-glucose is unable to move from the bloodstream into the cells for energy.