[News Today] Young diabetics on the rise

[LEAD]
Diabetes, once seen mainly in middle age, is now rising sharply among teens and young adults.

Cases have nearly quadrupled in just over a decade, with obesity the main driver.

Research shows that the lower the income level, the more vulnerable people are to the disease.

[REPORT]
This man who has been suffering from extreme obesity since high school years was diagnosed with diabetes eight years ago when he turned 20.

For over five years, he strictly managed his diet and exercise regimen to return to normal weight but he still needs to pay attention to his blood sugar levels.

Kim Seung-hwan / Diabetic
By losing weight, my diabetic readings have clearly gone down. It also improved dyspnea.

Diabetes used to be common among middle aged people but the number of younger patients has been spiking in recent years.

According to an analysis of health insurance claims by 130-thousand diabetics, the prevalence rate of the disease among people under the age of 30 was about 73 out of a population of 100-thousand in 2008.

This has nearly quadrupled over 13 years to 270 in 2021.

This trend is closely related to the eating habits of young people in their teens and 20s.

The obesity rate among children and teenagers has jumped from 9% in 2012 to 19% in 2021.

Low income groups, recipients of medicaid, are more vulnerable to diabetes.

They are 3.7 times more likely to develop the ailment compared to middle or high income earners, and this gap expands to 5.1 fold among children.

Prof. Kim Jae-hyun / Seoul Nat'l Univ. Bundang Hospital
Greater chance of eating high calorie, low nutrient meals and poor living environment can cause obesity and type 2 diabetes.

As the growing number of young diabetics leads to socio-economic losses, experts call for systematic oversight on the state level.

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