Diabetes Facts for Kids

A Picture of Diabetes Devices
  • Disease Name: Diabetes
  • Discovery Date: 1899
  • Discovery by: Joseph von Mering
  • Disease Types: Type-1 and Type-2
  • Treatment Methods: Artificial Insulin and a Healthy Diet
  • Prevention Methods: A Healthy and Natural Diet

23 Diabetes Facts for Kids

  1. Diabetes is a metabolic disorder where the body can’t control blood sugar levels.
  2. Diabetes is caused by the lack of insulin production in the pancreas or the lack of response of cells to insulin.
  3. The official medical term for someone with diabetes is diabetes mellitus (DM).
  4. A person is diagnosed with diabetes when they consistently have high blood sugar levels.
  5. There are some common symptoms someone with diabetes will experience, like frequent urination (Polyuria), increased thirst (Polydipsia) and increased hunger (Polyphagia).
  6. There are three types of diabetes, type 1 diabetes, type 2 diabetes and gestational diabetes.
  7. Type 1 diabetes is caused by a pancreas that doesn’t produced enough insulin.
  8. Type 2 diabetes is caused by cells that don’t respond to insulin, also known as insulin resistance.
  9. Gestational diabetes is caused by high blood sugar in pregnant women.
  10. A person can develop type 1 diabetes due to genetics (family history of diabetes). There is some valid research suggesting environmental factors could cause type 1 diabetes.
  11. A person can develop type 2 diabetes if they’re obese, aren’t active (exercise), have an unhealthy diet and/or have a family history of type 2 diabetes.
  12. A woman can only develop gestational diabetes while pregnant and is most commonly development during the last three months of a pregnancy.
  13. A person is considered to have prediabetes if they have elevated blood sugar levels, but they don’t fall into the range to be considered diabetes mellitus.
  14. The methods to treat diabetes depends on which type you have.
  15. Type 1 diabetes is treated by monitoring blood sugar levels and injecting insulin to control your blood sugar.
  16. Type 2 diabetes is treated with a healthier lifestyle. A healthy diet and exercise can keep the situation under control. In severe cases, oral medication can be used to treat type 2 diabetes.
  17. Gestational diabetes is treated with a healthier diet and in some cases may require insulin injections.
  18. People who fail to proper treat their diabetes diagnosis can have serious consequences, including death.
  19. Failing to treat diabetes can result in cardiovascular disease, chronic kidney disease, cognitive impairment, eye, damage, foot ulcers, nerve damage and/or a stroke.
  20. According to the International Diabetes Federation, in 2019 around 463 million people have diabetes worldwide. That means about 8.8% of the total 2019 world population had some form of diabetes.
  21. According to the International Diabetes Federation, in 2019 around 4.2 million people died due to complications related to diabetes.
  22. According to the World Health Organization, diabetes is the 7th leading cause of death worldwide.
  23. According to the American Diabetes Association, the economic cost of diabetes in the United States was almost $327 billion in 2017.

Additional Resources on Diabetes

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