Pappachan JM, Fernandez CJ, Ashraf AP. Rising tide: The global surge of type 2 diabetes in children and adolescents demands action now. World J Diabetes 2024; 15(5): 797-809 [PMID: 38766426 DOI: 10.4239/wjd.v15.i5.797]
Corresponding Author of This Article
Joseph M Pappachan, FRCP, MD, Academic Editor, Professor, Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, Sharoe Green Lane, Preston PR2 9HT, United Kingdom. drpappachan@yahoo.co.in
Research Domain of This Article
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Article-Type of This Article
Editorial
Open-Access Policy of This Article
This article is an open-access article which was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
World J Diabetes. May 15, 2024; 15(5): 797-809 Published online May 15, 2024. doi: 10.4239/wjd.v15.i5.797
Rising tide: The global surge of type 2 diabetes in children and adolescents demands action now
Joseph M Pappachan, Cornelius James Fernandez, Ambika P Ashraf
Joseph M Pappachan, Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, Preston PR2 9HT, United Kingdom
Joseph M Pappachan, Faculty of Science, Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester M15 6BH, United Kingdom
Joseph M Pappachan, Faculty of Biology, Medicine & Health, The University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, United Kingdom
Cornelius James Fernandez, Department of Endocrinology & Metabolism, Pilgrim Hospital, United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust, Boston PE21 9QS, United Kingdom
Ambika P Ashraf, Division of Pediatric Endocrinology and Diabetes, Department of Pediatrics, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35233, United States
Author contributions: Pappachan JM substantially contributed to the initial drafting of the work by performing the literature search and interpretation of relevant literature with some broad help from Fernandez CJ and Ashraf AP; Fernandez CJ and Ashraf AP prepared the figures for the manuscript; Pappachan JM and Ashraf AP conceptualized the idea; all authors contributed to the revision of the article for important intellectual content; all authors have read and approved the final version of the manuscript.
Conflict-of-interest statement: The authors declare no conflict of interests.
Open-Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Joseph M Pappachan, FRCP, MD, Academic Editor, Professor, Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, Sharoe Green Lane, Preston PR2 9HT, United Kingdom. drpappachan@yahoo.co.in
Received: November 23, 2023 Peer-review started: November 23, 2023 First decision: February 8, 2024 Revised: February 9, 2024 Accepted: March 18, 2024 Article in press: March 18, 2024 Published online: May 15, 2024 Processing time: 168 Days and 13.9 Hours
Abstract
Childhood-onset obesity has emerged as a major public healthcare challenge across the globe, fueled by an obesogenic environment and influenced by both genetic and epigenetic predispositions. This has led to an exponential rise in the incidence of type 2 diabetes mellitus in children and adolescents. The looming wave of diabetes-related complications in early adulthood is anticipated to strain the healthcare budgets in most countries. Unless there is a collective global effort to curb the devastation caused by the situation, the impact is poised to be pro-found. A multifaceted research effort, governmental legislation, and effective social action are crucial in attaining this goal. This article delves into the current epidemiological landscape, explores evidence concerning potential risks and consequences, delves into the pathobiology of childhood obesity, and discusses the latest evidence-based management strategies for diabesity.
Core Tip: Obesity is a significant contributor to various lifestyle-related diseases in both children and adolescents, akin to its impact on adults. A particularly concerning outcome of childhood obesity is early-onset type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), making substantial global healthcare challenges in recent times. The tandem occurrence of both obesity and T2DM gives rise to a myriad of metabolic and nonmetabolic complications in early adulthood. Without swift and decisive actions from the scientific community, socio-political organizations, and governments, the impending toll of these emerging pandemics is poised to adversely affect healthcare budgets worldwide.
