INSULIN RESISTANCE IN CHILDREN

Insulin Resistance in Children, not possible, right? Wrong!

If you also thought that Insulin Resistance was an adult onset condition like Type 2 Diabetes, you are not alone!  It took us over two years to find a health professional who went the extra distance to try and find an explanation for our daughter's sudden weight gain - She was only four years old at the time... (We will gladly share this specialist's details with you - e-mail us if interested).

Everybody else thought that it was due to bad eating habits (which it wasn't), or serious lack of physical activity, (which it was not).

So what is Insulin Resistance, and what are the symptoms?


Both genes and environment play a role in insulin resistance!

With Insulin Resistance, the body is insensitive, or basically 'deaf' to insulin. The organs and tissues that ought to respond to even a small rise in insulin remain unresponsive. The body tries harder by secreting more insulin to achieve the same effect, just as you might raise your voice for or shout at a heard-of-hearing person. Thus high insulin levels are part and parcel of insulin resistance.

Studies show that a low GI diet does not only improve body weight and blood glucose in people with diabetes (being overweight or even obese is usually one of the symptoms of Insulin Resistance), but also improves the sensitivity of the body to insulin.

Insulin Resistance Syndrome (sometimes called the metabolic syndrome or syndrome X), is a collection of metabolic abnormalities that can silently increase your risk of serious health problems i.e. heart disease.

Your best defense or advice in order to reverse Insulin Resistance, is a healthy diet which mainly consists of Low-GI Foods; restricted sugar, fat and refined product intake; and plenty of physical activity!

For further details on Insulin Resistance,
you will find your answers in one of these great books:

*  Syndrome X

    by Jack Challem, Burton Berkson MD and Melissa Diane Smith

   (Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.)

and 

*  The New Glucose Revolution

   by Jennie Brand-Miller PhD, Thomas M S Wolever MD, PhD, Stephen Colagiuri MD and Kaye  Foster-Powel M Nutr & Diet

   (Published by Rodale Books)

Watch this space, as more information on Insulin Resistance will be following shortly...