Ground-breaking study to cap the growing trend of type 2 diabetes in overweight a...( Researchers at The Children's Hospit...),Health

Researchers at The Children's Hospital at Westmead are embarking on a ground-breaking new study to investigate whether a different dietary approach to insulin resistance in overweight adolescents can put the brakes on its progression to type 2 diabetes.

Type 2 diabetes affects 85 to 90 per cent of all people with diabetes. While it usually affects mature adults, younger people and children are increasingly being diagnosed. Often people with type 2 diabetes also have high blood pressure, high cholesterol and are overweight or obese.

The MBF Foundation funded the three-year $400,000 project recognising increased medical and community concern about the growing number of overweight children being diagnosed with insulin resistance.

Currently adolescents with insulin resistance are managed through a combination of exercise, diet in line with the Australian Dietary Guidelines and medication, with the aim of preventing or delaying the onset of type 2 diabetes.

Clinicians at The Children's Hospital at Westmead are evaluating two diets, combined with an exercise program, for their effectiveness in turning the risk of this condition around. As a result of a growing body of evidence that amongst adults higher protein diets can more effectively reduce body fat and help control insulin levels, dietitians will investigate whether young people can similarly benefit from a high protein diet.

Dr Christine Bennett, MBF Foundation Steering Committee Chair and Chief Medical Officer of Bupa Australia*, says that one in four young Australians are now overweight or obese** and some of these will go on to develop type 2 diabetes if urgent action is not taken to manage this increasing problem.

"Type 2 diabetes can be difficult to control and needs to be managed effectively. Complications are often present at diagnosis and can lead to heart and kidney disease appear later in life. We can potentially save thousands of adolescents f
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