Hype about the so-called "epidemic of childhood type-2 diabetes" has had unexpected and troubling consequences. A study of 2,868 children presented at the American Diabetes Association's 2005 annual conference and funded by the CDC found that many cases of type-2 diabetes in children are misdiagnosed. The Associated Press reported:
"…doctors may be missing opportunities to diagnose and treat kids with Type 1 diabetes, who need insulin to survive. Many children were misclassified as Type 2, the diabetes linked to obesity, possibly because their weight problems are throwing doctors off track … [R]esearchers found that one out of three children diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes were found to be Type 1 after they were given a more sensitive test that is not commonly used in doctors' offices."
