According to a study in JAMA, rates of type 1 and type 2 diabetes are rising among children, USA Today reports. The study looked at 2,435 youths younger than age 20 who were newly diagnosed with diabetes in 2002 and 2003.

Researchers said type 1 diabetes is the most common form of diabetes in children and teens, but they also noted increases in cases of type 2 diabetes, the kind linked with obesity and lack of exercise.

Type 1 diabetes occurs when the immune system goes haywire and starts attacking itself, destroying insulin-producing cells in the pancreas needed to control blood sugar. People with type 1 diabetes must take daily insulin injections.

"We found more type 1 diabetes than we expected in whites, blacks and Hispanics," said Dr. Dana Dabelea of the University of Colorado in Denver, who led the study.

"Although the rates of type 2 diabetes are relatively low, we did find type 2 in all racial and ethnic groups, including non-Hispanic whites," she said, as quoted by Reuters.

The study said that the rate of type 1 diabetes has increased 40% to 60% for white children and 20% to 40% for black and Hispanic children over previous estimates (Manning, USA Today, 6/27).

Type 2 diabetes "is still relatively infrequent; however, the highest rates were observed among adolescent minority populations," the study said (Writing Group for the SEARCH for Diabetes in Youth Study Group, JAMA, 6/27).

Lead study author Dana Dabelea of the University of Colorado-Denver said, "We found overall rates of type 2 diabetes in kids are relatively low. But 15 years ago, there was no type 2 diabetes in kids. ... In ethnic groups such as American Indians, it is a huge problem" (Steenhuysen, Reuters, 6/26).