A survey last year found that many kids in the city engage in less than an hour's exercise each week though they spend plenty of time in front of a television or playing computer games. Because the early symptoms are relatively mild, diabetes often goes unrecognized. While parents think their kids sweat a lot because they're fat, profuse perspiration may be a symptom of incipient diabetes. Tiring easily and constant thirst are also warning signs. Some children develop a dark band at the back of the neck.
Doctors advise parents to get their children tested if they are in high-risk categories.
A chronic disorder, diabetes is marked by excess glucose in the blood and urine. Unless treated properly, it can lead to other long-term problems such as kidney damage, amputations due to infection of the feet, nerve disorders and eye diseases that lead to blindness. The disease is also a leading contributor to heart disease and stroke. Sufferers often develop multiple conditions including hypertension and protein in urine. Worse, experts warn, the younger the patients are, the more prone they are to developing complications.