Doctors across the UAE say they are seeing more teenagers referred for weight problems, high blood sugar, fatty liver disease and hormonal issues linked to insulin resistance.
“We are seeing a growing number of adolescents being assessed for insulin resistance and related metabolic conditions,” said Dr Abdul Jabbar, Consultant Internal Medicine-Endocrinology at Medcare Hospital Al Safa. He pointed to a 2020 study of UAE teenagers in schools, which found that 34.7 per cent were overweight or obese, and nearly 80 per cent were physically inactive.
Dr Amna Kiran Sarwar, Specialist Endocrinologist at International Modern Hospital Dubai, said global data back up the trend. “The American Diabetes Association reports that type 2 diabetes in children and adolescents has increased dramatically in recent years,” she said, adding that adolescent obesity has quadrupled worldwide since 1990.
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Reasons
Insulin helps move sugar from the blood into the body’s cells for energy. When cells stop responding properly to insulin, the pancreas has to make more of it to keep blood sugar normal. Over time, this strain can lead to diabetes.
Doctors say puberty itself can temporarily lower insulin sensitivity. Excess weight, especially around the belly, makes it worse. Family history also plays a role. “Teenagers with a parent or close relative with type 2 diabetes are at greater risk,” said Dr Sarwar.
Dr Abir Al Raisi, Consultant Family Medicine at Sultan bin Sheikh Zayed Hospital, explained the process simply. “Think of insulin as a key,” she said. “In insulin resistance, however, the key is still there but the door becomes harder to open.”
Warning signs
Insulin resistance often has no symptoms in its early stages. One visible sign doctors mention often is acanthosis nigricans, which are dark, velvety patches of skin, usually found on the neck, armpits or knuckles.
Other signs include unexplained weight gain, tiredness, trouble losing weight, sugar cravings, and irregular menstrual periods. Dr Jabbar recalled a recent patient—a 16-year-old girl who came in with irregular periods, fatigue and difficulty losing weight, and was found to have the tell-tale skin patches
Doctors agree that daily habits matter a lot. “A sedentary lifestyle is an important contributor,” said Dr Sarwar. “Teenagers today can spend many hours sitting, studying, gaming or using phones and other screens, with relatively little physical activity.”
Diet is another factor. Sugary drinks, processed snacks and low intake of fruits, vegetables and whole grains all raise the risk, doctors said.
How to prevent it
Doctors say prevention should involve the whole family, not just the teenager. “First, set an example at home,” said Dr Jabbar, encouraging regular exercise, less screen time, enough sleep, and balanced meals with protein and complex carbs.
Dr Al Raisi said even small changes help. “Small, sustainable changes in eating, movement and weight can significantly improve metabolic health,” she said, recommending a Mediterranean-style diet with vegetables, whole grains, nuts and olive oil.
Doctors also recommend screening for teenagers with added risk factors. According to Dr Sarwar, current American Diabetes Association guidance suggests screening after puberty begins or from age 10, whichever comes first, for teens who are overweight or obese and have other risk factors such as family history or polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome, or PMOS, which was formally knows as PCOS.
What happens if left untreated
If untreated, insulin resistance can progress to prediabetes and then type 2 diabetes. Doctors warn it is also linked to high blood pressure, abnormal cholesterol, fatty liver disease and heart disease later in life.
“The concern with developing type 2 diabetes during adolescence is that the individual is exposed to the disease and its complications from a very young age,” said Dr Sarwar.
Doctors said the outlook improves with early action. “Insulin resistance can often be improved and, in some cases, reversed through early lifestyle interventions,” said Dr Jabbar.
Source: Khaleej Times