Kindler JM, Kelly A, Khoury PR, et al. - Since adults with type 2 diabetes have an increased risk of fracture despite normal areal bone mineral density (aBMD), however, the effect of diabetes on the growing skeleton is not known, researchers conducted this cross-sectional study to compare bone health in youth with type 2 diabetes to control patients with obesity or healthy weight. The sample consisted of youth (56% African American, 67% female) ages 10 to 23 years with type 2 diabetes (n = 180), obesity (BMI > 95th; n = 226), or healthy weight (BMI < 85th; n = 238). Age-dependent differences were observed in aBMD and LBMI z scores between the healthy weight, obese, and type 2 diabetes groups. In children, aBMD and LBMI z scores were higher in the type 2 diabetes group compared with the obese group, but in adolescents and young adults, aBMD and LBMI z scores were lower in the type 2 diabetes group vs the obese group. Compared with healthy weight control patients, aBMD was about 0.5 SDs lower for a given LBMI z score in the type 2 diabetes group and the obese group. Moreover, aBMD was lower in those with greater visceral fat. Such findings indicate that type 2 diabetes can be harmful to bone density around the age of peak bone mass.