Usually, starting ahead of the pack is a good idea. In a world of convenience and rushing everywhere, being 'first' is often the goal. But not when it comes to developing diabetes. A new study shows that the younger a child is when s/he develops the disease, the more health problems they will experience in middle age.

The study offers some of the first strong evidence of the consequences of the nation's growing epidemic of type 2 diabetes in children, said Dr. William Knowler, a co-author and researcher with the National Institute of Diabetes and digestive and Kidney Diseases.

The research also lends support to warnings that diabetes and other obesity-related ills are on the verge of shortening average life span in the United States.

It hardly seems to be earth-shattering news. The earlier a person starts to be unhealthy, the longer they'll build up adverse effects. The good news is, this study recounts obesity-related diabetes, which is often reversible when the obesity is properly treated.

The researchers calculated that the incidence of end-stage kidney failure and death by age 55 was nearly five times higher in people who developed type 2 diabetes before age 20 than in those who developed diabetes in adulthood.

Most of the 20 million Americans with diabetes are adults with type 2. While a generation ago, type 2 diabetes was almost unheard of in children, the incidence has increased substantially in the past decade, largely because of obesity and lack of exercise.

Of course, prevention is always the best approach. What are you doing for you-- or for your child-- to prevent, or treat, diabetes?