Sign-in to Ask A Doctor - 24x7
OR
Sign in with Google
How To Control Weight In Children With Type 1 Diabetes?
Question: my daughter is type 1 diabetes, dx at age 9. she is now 18 and having a lot of trouble with weight gain, she rarely eating carbs. the sugars she usually has is in fruits. she exercises everyday for at least 1 - 2 hours. she has been going weight instead of losing, for 3 months she gained 3 lbs a month, she had bloodwork for PCOS which was all negative. her thyroid function bloodworm all negative also. we need direction
Brief Answer:
Type 1 diabetes
Detailed Answer:
Sorry to learn about the medical challenges your daughter and you are facing.
Type 1 is a difficult condition to manage. And especially in the teenage years it poses a tough situation to handle on daily basis.
Work closely with a pediatric endocrinologist, and his/her team which will the resources your daughter needs to do better.
For example a university pediatric endocrinology department should have not just a pediatric endocrinologist and a registered dietitian but also a
CDE (Certified Diabetes Educator)
Clinical Psychologist
Behavioral Specialist
Diabetes Nurse
Nurse practitioner/Physician Assistant
Residents/Fellow on call
All these team members will provide you with greater attention to the various aspects of diabetes control.
For instance, carbohydrate counting is one aspect of nutrition but there are several others which impact your weight and glucose control in the long term. You will both need to know more fats and proteins, and their role in satiety and healthy nutrition.
Furthermore, a specialized center will also offer you state of the art technology such as CSII and CGMS. These terms simply refer to an Insulin pump and glucose sensor. Unless your daughter is already using these, discuss these with the Diabetes Care team as to whether your daughter is ready for these best-practice devices.
Using them well allows better control of diabetes and weight. One example is how frequent low glucose reactions ('hypoglycemia') can lead to defensive eating, and that causes weight gain. With the help of a dedicated team of professional and tools that prevent and minimize hypoglycemia, weight gain can be avoided.
Youth sometimes have binge eating problems which can also be considered by the Psychologist
Type 1 diabetes
Detailed Answer:
Sorry to learn about the medical challenges your daughter and you are facing.
Type 1 is a difficult condition to manage. And especially in the teenage years it poses a tough situation to handle on daily basis.
Work closely with a pediatric endocrinologist, and his/her team which will the resources your daughter needs to do better.
For example a university pediatric endocrinology department should have not just a pediatric endocrinologist and a registered dietitian but also a
CDE (Certified Diabetes Educator)
Clinical Psychologist
Behavioral Specialist
Diabetes Nurse
Nurse practitioner/Physician Assistant
Residents/Fellow on call
All these team members will provide you with greater attention to the various aspects of diabetes control.
For instance, carbohydrate counting is one aspect of nutrition but there are several others which impact your weight and glucose control in the long term. You will both need to know more fats and proteins, and their role in satiety and healthy nutrition.
Furthermore, a specialized center will also offer you state of the art technology such as CSII and CGMS. These terms simply refer to an Insulin pump and glucose sensor. Unless your daughter is already using these, discuss these with the Diabetes Care team as to whether your daughter is ready for these best-practice devices.
Using them well allows better control of diabetes and weight. One example is how frequent low glucose reactions ('hypoglycemia') can lead to defensive eating, and that causes weight gain. With the help of a dedicated team of professional and tools that prevent and minimize hypoglycemia, weight gain can be avoided.
Youth sometimes have binge eating problems which can also be considered by the Psychologist
Note: For more information on hormonal imbalance symptoms or unmanaged diabetes with other comorbid conditions, get back to us & Consult with an Endocrinologist. Click here to book an appointment.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
Get personalised answers from verified doctor in minutes across 80+ specialties
