Parents' Lifestyle Influences Children's Diabetes Risk More Than Genetic Factors

Doctor (dr.) Piprim Basarah Yanuarso, Chair of the Indonesian Pediatrician Association (IDAI), stated that the lifestyle habits of parents have a greater influence on the risk of children developing type 2 diabetes than genetic factors. 

"So sometimes we like to blame genetic factors, even though they are lazy to exercise, often snack, the same type of eating pattern is then much more dangerous than genetic factors alone," said dr. Piprim, Saturday (5/31/2025), quoted by Antara. 

According to him, lifestyle patterns are much more important to control because children tend to imitate the physical activity and eating habits of their parents. 

Even if parents have a history of diabetes, children can still avoid the disease if a healthy lifestyle is implemented in the family from the start. 

Some recommended healthy habits include getting enough sleep, regular exercise with adequate intensity, intermittent fasting, and consuming foods high in nutrients and animal protein, by limiting sugar and fast-absorbing carbohydrate intake. 

Piprim also emphasized the importance of daily physical activity for children. Children should be given space to move around a lot and not be limited by gadget distractions that make them lazy to move. 

"The habit of moving is also a stress relief for children, so that it does not become a pile of diseases later on," he said. 

He explained that chronic stress, including overthinking, can also trigger various diseases. Therefore, sufficient physical activity can help reduce psychological stress. 

"If people are made physically stressed, their psychological stress will decrease," he added. 

In Indonesia, Piprim said the prevalence of type 1 diabetes in children is still higher, reaching almost 90 percent. However, with the dominance of unhealthy lifestyles such as consuming sweet foods and lack of exercise, the number of cases of type 2 diabetes in children is predicted to increase and equal the number of type 1 diabetes. 

He explained that type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease that causes the pancreas to be unable to produce insulin. Children with this condition are generally thin since childhood. Meanwhile, type 2 diabetes is caused by impaired insulin production or insulin resistance due to an unhealthy lifestyle. 

The symptoms of both types of diabetes are similar, namely the child still feels hungry even though they have eaten a lot, drinks often, urinates more frequently, and loses weight drastically. 

Tag: Healthy Lifestyle IDAI Indonesian Pediatrician Association