The past 20 years has seen an unexplained hike in juvenile diabetes. Most teens are careful to manage their diabetes well, take insulin shots and watch their sugar intake. Some, however, have discovered a dangerous way of losing weight - by skipping or reducing their insulin doses.

"'It's extremely dangerous. I just had to admit one girl to emergency,' [Louis] Geoffroy added. 'When a child is losing weight rapidly, that's a clear indication. But some are borderline and we can't tell them apart from those who have poor control over their diabetes.'"

Dieting is considered the strongest predictor of eating disorder development. Teens with diabetes are at greater risk because they must, in order to regulate their condition, constantly calculate the nutritional value of their meals. Read more at Canada.com.

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Though it's not a medical term, nor is it a recognized disorder, the term "diabulimia" has been created to describe the practice of skipping insulin shots in order to lose weight. An estimated 450,000 people who have Type 1 diabetes are said to have resorted this dangerous weight loss tactic.

"Warning signs for diabulimia include a change in eating habits - typically someone who eats more but still loses weight - low energy and high blood-sugar levels... Frequent urination is another signal. When sugars are high, the kidneys work overtime to filter the excess glucose from the blood."

The dangers of skipping or reducing insulin intake are extreme for someone with Type 1 diabetes. Risks include falling into a coma, blindness, amputation, kidney failure and even death.

Read more at BeloitDailyNews.com.

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