Research
Mixed
Type 2 diabetes incidence in youth is increasing rapidly and is strongly associated with obesity, particularly in minority populations (Native American, African-American, Mexican-American, Japanese).
If you are a parent of a child in a high-risk ethnic group (Native American, African-American, Mexican-American, Japanese) and your child is overweight, discuss Type 2 diabetes screening with their doctor, even if they are young. The risk is real and increasing.
StrongSupportsHIGH confidence
Type 2 diabetes in youth has been recognized to be frequent in populations of native North Americans and to comprise some 30 percent of new cases of diabetes in the 2nd decade of life, largely accounted for by minority populations and associated with obesity.
Why this rating
Based on multiple epidemiological studies across diverse populations cited in the text.
Source
Emerging epidemic of type 2 diabetes in youth.
Arlan L. Rosenbloom et al. · Diabetes Care · 1999
DOI 10.2337/diacare.22.2.345
narrative_reviewCited 1,027×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
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- African-American youth exhibit greater insulin responses during glucose tolerance testing and hyperglycemic clamp studies compared to white youth, indicating reduced insulin sensitivity.Good
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