Were not kidding about kids and Type 2 diabetes The youngest child ever diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes may be a 3-year-old who weighed 77 pounds and had a nutritionally bankrupt diet. Doctors provided nutritional education to the family and prescribed the toddler liquid metformin. The child increased physical activity, decreased caloric consumption and, in six months, had lost 25 percent of her body weight. Her blood glucose levels normalized, and she didnt need diabetes medication anymore.

We hope shes been able to maintain that healthful lifestyle. When kids get Type 2 diabetes, the consequences can be swift and severe.

The TODAY2 study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, tracked kids with diabetes for 15 years. The researchers found that over time, 67 percent developed high blood pressure; 52 percent had seriously elevated triglycerides and lousy LDL cholesterol levels; 55 percent had diabetes-related kidney disease; 51 percent had eye disease; and 32 percent had nerve disease. After 10 to 12 years of living with diabetes, young adults in their 20s were suffering strokes, kidney failure, heart attacks and amputations.

Dont let this happen to your kids. Find play groups and after-school teams for them to join. Upgrade your familys nutrition eliminate drinks with added sugars or syrups, fruit drinks, simple carbs, processed meats and highly processed or fast foods. Your childrens future is in your hands. Reach out for help if you need a hand. And check out the American Heart Associations Daily Tips to Help Your Family Eat Better at http://www.heart.org and http://www.PTA.org for Family Resources.

Are you a bonehead? Baseball player Fred Merkle was the youngest player in the National League in 1908 when he committed an infamous base-running error. When heading for third, he failed to tag second base and eventually left the field thinking his team, the New York Giants, had won the game. That mistake nullified the victory, and the goof became known as Merkels Boner. The nickname Bonehead stuck with him throughout his 19-year career.

You dont want to be a bonehead. But, according to a new study in the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research, there is a definite association between what goes on in your bones and your head. When 1,741 women ages 65 and older were followed from 1997 to 2013, researchers found that cognitive decline during the first five years of the study was tied to more than a 16 percent increased risk of osteoporosis and fracture over the following decade.

It makes us think perhaps all the smart moves that protect against osteoporosis daily activity with aerobics (especially jumping) and weight-bearing exercise; a diet rich in plant-based calcium; supplemental vitamin D (most people are deficient); and not smoking turn out to be good for your brain health, too. And life habits that protect the brain not smoking, eating a plant-based, anti-inflammatory diet, walking 10,000 steps a day well, thats good for the bones.

So, bone up on what you need to do for good nutrition and exercise, and youll have a head start on enduring brain and bone health as you age.

Pasta-picking particulars Carbonara, alfredo, parmigiana the sauces that Americans slather over pasta are most often saturated-fat-laden, cheesy, creamy concoctions. And although we dont come close (no one does) to the 51 pounds of pasta each Italian downs annually, we consume about 20 pounds apiece. Even if every bite were topped with healthful marinara sauce, wed still be taking in more refined white-flour pasta than is good for blood sugar control or weight management.

So whats the smart pasta pick? Theres a whole pantry full to choose from:

Whole-wheat pasta retains most of its bran, which is loaded with thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin B6, potassium, magnesium and phosphorus. This pasta also delivers more than twice the fiber and iron of enriched refined pasta. Two ounces, uncooked (thats one serving) contains 8 grams of protein and 5.5 grams of fiber. Its great with hearty, steamed veggies tossed in garlic and olive oil.

Pasta made from lentils or black soybeans generally delivers a lot more protein than white or whole-wheat pasta. Two uncooked ounces of black soybean pasta has 25 grams of protein and 11 grams of fiber. Top with roasted veggies, grated ginger and a touch of toasted sesame oil.

Chickpea and other bean pastas are packed with fiber and delicate enough for refined sauces think Vietnamese and Thai. Chickpea pasta (2 ounces uncooked) contains 6 grams protein, 5 grams fiber.

Tip: Pasta made from corn or rice isnt a step up from refined white flour. Look on the labels for 100 percent whole grains, lentils or beans as the first or only ingredient.

Is chronic pain altering your personality? In 1985, when quarterback Joe Theismann had his fibula and tibia shattered by a tackle, it ended his NFL career a career in which hed suffered seven broken noses, a broken collarbone and broken hands and ribs. People would say that it was a tragedy but it was a blessing, he said. Id become somewhat of a self-absorbed individual and didnt really care much about a lot of things except myself. And ever since that day Ive tried to be a better person.

All that physical pain can make it difficult to be your best self. Thats been confirmed by a study in the European Journal of Pain seems that people with chronic pain have very low levels of the personality-influencing neurotransmitter glutamate in their frontal cortex, triggering emotional dysregulation and increasing anxiety.

If youre one of the 50 million Americans who live with chronic pain and the emotional changes it triggers, the good news is you dont need opioids for relief (whew!).

Non-opioid pain relievers: To handle chronic back pain or osteoarthritis, one study found that nonopioid medications deliver as much relief as opioids. Anti-seizure medications ease fibromyalgia pain; antidepressants can help with migraine; and NSAIDs and topical creams can soothe aching joints, muscles and some nerve pain.

Alternatives to medications: Massage, acupuncture and high-tech radiofrequency ablation and transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) also ease pain effectively.

Altered pain response: Pain causes tension, and that increases pain. An anti-inflammatory diet, and stress-reducing meditation, deep breathing and visualization, plus plenty of exercise can quiet the brains pain response center.

Enjoying your life-cycle On July 12 of this year, actress Rita Wilson took her husband Tom Hanks out for a bike ride to celebrate his 65th birthday. A great idea for many reasons including one we bet that Hanks, diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes in 2013, didnt know about.

It turns out that for folks with diabetes, cycling is one of the best ways to reduce the risk of heart woes and death. Researchers conducted a multicountry study that looked at almost 7,500 adults who had diabetes. Their study, published in JAMA Internal Medicine, found that doing some cycling is associated with at least a 24 percent lower rate of death from all causes, including cardiovascular disease, when compared with non-cyclists. And regular cycling (one to five-plus hours a week) over a five-year period is associated with at least a 35 percent lower risk of all-cause mortality when compared with noncyclists. This adds to the findings of an earlier Danish study that found a 40 percent decreased risk of mortality from regularly cycling to work.

There is one hazard associated with cycling that wed like to mention: not wearing a helmet. According to a study in the journal Brain Injury that analyzed 76,032 cycling mishaps from 2002 to 2012, 78 percent of adult cyclists who suffered head and neck injuries were not wearing helmets. So, make sure you have a top-quality helmet and then get out there or get an all-weather stationary bike and, diabetes or not, pedal your way to a longer, healthier life.

Mehmet Oz, M.D. is host of The Dr. Oz Show, and Mike Roizen, M.D. is Chief Wellness Officer and Chair of Wellness Institute at Cleveland Clinic. To live your healthiest, tune into The Dr. Oz Show or visit http://www.sharecare.com.

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Health tips from Dr. Oz and Dr. Roizen for 8-24-21 - The Dispatch - The Commercial Dispatch