Would You Like Fries With That?
It's not an official clinical diagnosis, nor is it a value meal special. But the phrase "Double Diabetes" seems to have resonated with the media, as hundreds of news outlets have picked up the Associated Press story on the topic.
For the record, what the AP is calling "double diabetes" can occur in those with an initial diagnosis of type 1 diabetes (in cases where the patient goes on to develop additional insulin resistance) or an initial diagnosis of type 2 diabetes (in cases where the pancreatic beta cell function of a type 2 patient diminishes over time). In short, it's progression of the disease, and is nothing new on the horizon.
For those with type 1 diabetes, weight may play a factor in developing additional insulin resistance. A 2003 study out of the University of Pittsburgh found that one in four black children and one in 10 white children had "double diabetes," quite possibly linked to a growing incidence of weight problems in the U.S.