Lack of exercise and higher calorie intake, factors which contribute to obesity, are blamed for the rise in the number of kids who are coming down with the lifestyle-related disease, medical experts were quoted as saying.

"It's a worrying trend," said Warren Lee, head of the endocrinology service at the department of paediatric medicine at the government-run KK Women's and Children's Hospital.

"Fifteen to 20 years ago, it was traditionally those above 40 years who had diabetes.

"Now, it's a younger onset with people in their late twenties and thirties having it, and all the way downwards to children as young as 10 to 12 years," he said.

The hospital now has 54 Type II diabetic patients aged below 18 years old under its care and treats around 10-15 new cases of the disease every year, compared to one or two cases a decade ago.

Freda Lau, 17, is among the growing number of young patients in Singapore diagnosed with Type II diabetes, whose victims suffer a deficiency of insulin which is necessary for the body to convert sugar into energy.

"Initially, I was in denial but now I'm slowly coming to terms with my condition," said Lau, who used to devour chocolates while watching television or doing her schoolwork at home.

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