Some think it will help them lose weight. Athletes sometimes purposely elevate their blood sugar before a game so they won't have to test in front of their teammates midway through. The problem is that they won't necessarily get in enough activity to burn the glucose, says Patrice Yasuda, a Los Angeles clinical psychologist. Or kids might not test their sugar because they're shy. Kids don't want to take the blood test in front of everyone.
Some kids abuse their insulin because they actually enjoy it.
Of course, if you forget or don't monitor your sugar or get distracted, you put yourself in a very vulnerable position. You can have a severe reaction that lands you unconscious, in a diabetic coma or even worse. Maybe they are struggling with normal issues of being a teen. With diabetes, they might also be dealing with the reality of lifelong responsibilities they face, says Yasuda. Many kids really get very sad.