Experts predict a rise in a killer disease among our children - fuelled by modern-day bad habits such as gorging on fatty foods and an inactive lifestyle.
Diabetes is a common condition that causes a person’s blood sugar to become too high - essentially an inability of the body to break down glucose levels.
It's an illness that impacts close to four million people in the UK, with 90 per cent having Type 2 diabetes.
It usually affects adults and can occur when the body finds it hard to regulate blood sugar levels.
But increasingly more youngsters and teenagers, particularly those who are sedentary, overweight or obese, are developing the disease.
Alarmingly, new government data has shown that one in ten reception-age children in England were living with obesity.
For year six children in England, the average figure was 22 per cent, with this increasing to more than 30 per cent in the most deprived areas.
Want to get the latest health news direct to your inbox? Sign up for the Mirror Health newsletter HERE
Why are cases of early onset Type 2 diabetes rising?
It used to be rare, but rates are increasing as Brits become more and more overweight and unfit, according to previous research.
Worryingly, new diagnoses of Type 2 diabetes in those younger than 40 leapt up by 23 per cent within just half a decade.
Diabetes UK warns that if no action is taken, 5.5 million people in the UK will be living with the disease by 2030.
Meanwhile the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says the number of US citizens under the age of 20 with Type 2 diabetes could rocket up by as much as 700 per cent by 2060.
Signs of the potentially life-threatening condition were spotted by scientists in the UK and US, who promptly raised the alarm during the pandemic.
And since then, studies have linked Covid to both Type 1 and 2 diabetes.
Signs and symptoms of the silent killer are easier to spot in adults than children, with symptoms very gradually appearing over weeks or even months.
Canadian optometrist Langis Michaud has warned of the five signs parents should watch out for:
1. Eyesight getting worse
Type 2 diabetes can cause eyesight to deteriorate, with experts saying it's the leading cause of vision loss among adults aged 20 to 74.
Langis highlighted the prevalence of one sign which can be spotted through regular visits to the optometrist or ophthalmologist.
"Diabetic signs are seen in up to 30 per cent of patients shortly after diagnosis," he wrote in The Conversation.
"Young people with Type 2 diabetes (compared to Type 1 diabetics of the same age) are 88 times more likely to develop retinopathy (abnormal blood vessels or hemorrhages in the retina)," he added.
"The risk of this retinopathy becoming “proliferative,” and therefore threatening to vision, is increased 230 times".
2. Feeling thirsty
If someone has high blood sugar levels it can lead to dehydration.
As such, someone with uncontrolled diabetes may experience polydipsia - an extreme thirst.
Polydipsia can cause someone to have an overwhelming need for water, feel dizzy or have a very dry mouth.
And if the condition is not managed properly, diabetes can prevent the body from absorbing water, thus creating a vicious cycle.
3. Going to the toilet a lot, particularly at night
A common sign of the condition is having to visit the toilet more than usual - particularly in the small hours.
This is due to the pancreas - which produces the insulin - becoming so tired that it can no longer produce enough insulin.
These high levels of blood sugar then get passed into the urine - which may smell sweeter than usual - in an effort to expel them from the body.
4. Losing weight with no effort
Unintentional weight loss can be a warning sign of diabetes.
Not having enough insulin prevents the body from getting glucose from the blood into the body’s cells to use as energy.
When this happens, the body begins burning fat and muscle for energy, leading to less body weight.
Out of the blue weight loss is often spotted in people ahead of them receiving a diagnosis of Type 1 diabetes, but it can also affect people with Type 2 diabetes, too.
5. Feeling worn out more than usual
Lots of people with diabetes feel tired, lethargic or fatigued at times.
These feelings can often be linked to having too high - or too low - blood sugar levels.
In both cases, the tiredness can be traced back to having an imbalance between one’s level of blood glucose and the amount or effectiveness of circulating insulin.
If you have slept well but still feel lethargic or worn out during the day, it could be the result of having either high or low blood sugar levels.
