According to a report from the CDC entitled: “Children and Diabetes- SEARCH for Diabetes in Youth,” diabetes is one of the most prevalent diseases found among children in the United States. There are two classifications of diabetes: type 1 or juvenile diabetes is diagnosed at a young age. Type 1 diabetes is diagnosed when the immune system destroys pancreatic cells which renders the pancreas unable to produce any or insufficient amounts of insulin. Insulin is a protein hormone which regulates blood sugar levels in the body. A patient diagnosed with type 1 diabetes requires daily insulin injections to live.

Type 2 or adult onset diabetes occurs when the body develops insulin resistance due to the pancreas’ inability to produce adequate insulin amounts to regulate blood sugar or the improper usage of insulin throughout the body. Type 2 diabetes is becoming more prevalent and the diagnoses rate in U.S. children and adolescents is increasing at a concerning rate. One known and primary contributor to type 2 diabetes is the excessive consumption of processed, high fat, and sugary foods.

The CDC and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) funded the research project entitled “SEARCH for Diabetes in Youth Study” to gather data regarding how many children and adolescents have diabetes, how the disease affects their lives, different treatments that are utilized, and the impact of diabetes on their daily lives. According to 2002-2003 data the overall prevalence of diabetes in U.S. youth was 24.3 per 100,000. Annually 15,000 were diagnosed with type 1 diabetes ad 3,700 were diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. This rate has continued to increase and the prevalence is more frequent currently.

The SEARCH survey indicated that the nutrition of youth with diabetes is poor and that their diet generally exceeds the recommended dietary guidelines for fat intake. Only 10% of adolescents diagnosed with diabetes met fat recommendations and a mere 7% met recommended saturated fat guidelines. This substantiates the correlation of diet and health and also demonstrates how unhealthy foods can facilitate physiological diseases.

Nearly half of the youth, approximately 50%, of the study participants were also determined to have elevated LDL (low density lipoproteins or “bad” cholesterol) levels. There was also an observable increase in the prevalence of multiple cardiovascular diseases or CVD in children and adolescents diagnosed with diabetes.

Diseases that have formerly been classified as “adult” diseases are becoming more prevalent in children and adolescents. This can be attributed as adirect consequence of poor diet and lack of proper exercise. The U.S. diet is becoming increasing unhealthy and the increasing prevalence of preventable diseases indicates the negative impact this has on the population. Foods like Popcake pancakes that are low calorie and 97% fat free can help promote overall good health and hinder the development of diseases like type 2 diabetes through the consumption of healthful, low calorie foods.