Fletcher Allen, a Vermont university hospital and medical
center, serves all of Vermont and the northern New York region.
Located in Burlington, Fletcher Allen is a regional, academic
healthcare center and teaching hospital in alliance with the
University of Vermont. Type 2 Diabetes in Children Is this topic
for you? This topic provides information about type 2 diabetes
in children. If you are looking for information about type 1
diabetes, see the topic Type 1 Diabetes: Children Living With
the Disease. What is type 2 diabetes? Type 2 diabetes is a
lifelong disease that develops when the pancreas cannot make
enough insulin or when the body's tissues cannot use insulin
properly. Insulin is a hormone that helps the body's cells use
sugar (glucose) for energy. It also helps the body store extra
energy in muscle, fat, and liver cells. Without insulin, the
sugar cannot get into the cells to do its work. It stays in the
blood instead. This can cause high blood sugar levels. A person
has diabetes when the blood suga