DEFINITION

• Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a disease that in the past was rarely seen in children, hence the old name "adult-onset diabetes."
• It is now well recognized that T2DM also occurs in children less than 19 years old, and has increased in incidence since the 1980s.
• The pathophysiology of T2DM in children is similar to that seen in adults, although specific differences exist.