Type 1, Type 2 Diabetes Can Overlap in Children

Monitoring the number of calories a child eats matters, Dr. Culler said. “Just to say you eat certain kinds of foods is not a solution to long-term weight loss.” He recommends a low-calorie, low-fat diet with enough fruits and vegetables to keep the child healthy.

To address excess weight and lower the risk for diabetes, exercise is also important. Maximum health effects are seen with a combination of diet and exercise. “The benefit of exercise is through metabolic effects on how you burn calories,” Dr. Culler said. “It's hard to exercise yourself thin. You can only burn a few hundred calories at a time, even in kids who are very active.”

Despite differences between type 1 and type 2 diabetes, all children with diabetes share some common issues. Challenges for children include medication compliance, glucose monitoring, and managing their condition when their routine changes. There is a loss of normalcy and children with diabetes can face discrimination at school, Dr. Kaufman said. “These are huge challenges.”