In today's competitive job market, many parents have to wake up early to prepare their children for school while also getting ready for work. After school, these children often have to wait for their parents, who may return home late, making it a tiring cycle for the young ones. Unfortunately, the eating habits of these families, especially for children, raise significant concerns. Processed snacks, sugary drinks, sweetened milk, and “grab-and-go” foods have replaced traditional meals in many households. Items like biscuits, meat pies, boxed juice, and sugary cereals are now common, while healthier options like beans, kontomire, fish, and tubers are often overlooked.

With parents working long hours, leaving home before dawn and returning late, cooking can feel impossible on busy mornings. This leads to lunch bags filled with packaged snacks instead of home-cooked meals. Additionally, in our digital age, children are spending more time in front of screens and engaging in less physical activity. Fewer children walk to school, play outside, or do household chores; they often stay indoors due to safety concerns, traffic, and the allure of screen time.

The combination of less physical activity and poor eating habits contributes to weight gain, which increases the risk of diabetes. Unfortunately, by the time a blood test is conducted, blood sugar levels may be dangerously high. Untreated diabetes in childhood can lead to long-term complications affecting the eyes, kidneys, nerves and heart as well as negatively impacting school performance and mental health. This alarming trend should be a significant concern, particularly as Type 2 diabetes cases among children continue to surge.

While Ghana does not currently have a national count of child diabetes cases, hospital and research data from the Ghana Health Service indicate an upward trend, especially for Type 2 diabetes among children. A study conducted in Kumasi by the Ghana Health Service involving 106 children and adolescents with newly diagnosed diabetes showed that 84.9% had Type 1 diabetes and 15.1% had Type 2. Notably, Type 2 cases were predominantly female, aged 9 to 19 years, and Type 1 cases peaked at ages 12 to 13. The Diabetes, Endocrine and Metabolic Society of Ghana has reported a rising number of Type 2 diabetes cases among children, yet diagnoses often come late, usually when severe complications occur.

The broader issue here is that childhood diabetes is increasingly challenging because it is often unexpected. If your child experiences constant thirst, frequent urination, unexplained tiredness, or weight loss, it is essential to consult a clinic for a blood sugar test. Early detection significantly simplifies management.

We must also reconsider our lifestyles and make adjustments. It is not necessary to send your children to a school close to your workplace if it is far away. Waking children up too early can lead to fatigue. This accumulated tiredness, combined with unhealthy eating habits such as increased consumption of processed snacks, sugary drinks, and sweetened milk, contributes to the rise in diabetes among children. Parents need to prioritise cooking healthy meals and regularly incorporating fruits and vegetables into their diets.

Additionally, children should be encouraged to participate in outdoor activities instead of spending all their time on devices or in front of the television. The health of our children should be treated with urgency.

Our children are not meant to carry the weight of our busy schedules in their lunch bags, or in their blood sugar levels. The rise of diabetes among Ghanaian children is not about bad parenting. It is about a fast-paced life, easy snacks and habits we adopted without realising the cost.

Sources: Ghana Health Service, Diabetes, Endocrine Metabolism Society of Ghana.