Diabetes is when the body has trouble using glucose, the sugar that gives us energy. It's very common, it's nobody's fault, and you can't catch it from anyone.

Your body runs on glucose

When you eat foods like bread, fruit, rice or pasta, your body turns them into glucose. Glucose travels in your blood to every part of your body, like fuel for a car.

Insulin, the key

To get into your cells, glucose needs a helper called insulin. Insulin is made by the pancreas, an organ hiding behind your tummy. Insulin works like a key that opens the doors of your cells.

What happens with diabetes?

With diabetes, the body doesn't make enough insulin, or the insulin doesn't work well. Glucose stays in the blood instead of going into the cells. Too much glucose in the blood is called a high.

• Type 1 diabetes: the pancreas stops making insulin. It is the most common type in children.
• Type 2 diabetes: the body still makes insulin, but it doesn't work as well.

💡 Kids with diabetes can do everything other kids do: play, run, swim, learn and have fun!

Sources

• American Diabetes Association: Type 1 diabetes
• American Diabetes Association: Type 2 diabetes
• NHS: Type 1 diabetes
• AJD, Aide aux Jeunes Diabétiques

Last checked 20 October 2026.