When a person has prediabetes, there is too much sugar in their blood. Having prediabetes doesn't mean your child will get diabetes, but it makes it more likely.

Prediabetes happens more often in kids and teens who are overweight, usually from eating too much or not exercising enough, or both. A healthy diet and being active can help lower blood sugar levels. This helps prevent diabetes. Sometimes, healthy eating and exercise can make prediabetes go away. 

• Follow these healthy living steps:
  • Ask your health care provider for advice about a diet that will help your child.
  • If your health care provider recommends, schedule a visit with a dietitian who is trained in helping people with prediabetes.
  • Avoid bringing unhealthy food into your home. If unhealthy food is available, your child will want to eat it. These include chips, cookies, and many other snack foods. 
  • Teach your child to eat and drink less sugar. Try water and low-fat milk instead of juice or sugar-sweetened drinks. Limit fast food.
  • Be sure your child eats vegetables and fruits as directed. 
  • Limit your child's screen time (TV, video games, computers, cellphones) to 1 hour or less each day.
  • Make sure your child gets 1 hour or more of physical activity every day.
• Teach your child to eat only when hungry and to stop when satisfied.
• If your child is overweight, follow the weight-control plan your health care provider gave you.
• Take your child to all follow-up medical visits.

• Your child drinks and urinates (pees) a lot.
• You have trouble keeping your child on a healthy diet.

• Your child has severe belly pain, is vomiting (throwing up), has trouble breathing, or becomes confused or very sleepy.

What tests are done to check for prediabetes? When health care providers have concerns about prediabetes, they usually order these tests:

• a fasting glucose blood test: blood is drawn after your child has fasted for at least 8 hours
• hemoglobin A1C test: tells the average blood sugar levels over the past few months 

Sometimes, other tests may be ordered if needed.

How can we get our child to eat a better diet and become more active? There are ways to improve your child's diet. Be sure to involve the whole family. Have everyone in the family eat healthier and be more active, even those who have a normal weight. Try to do physical activities as a family. This can be as simple as going to a playground or taking a walk.