Mother noticed a black ring around her daughter's neck. If you see this too, go to the hospital immediately..

In recent years, childhood obesity has climbed to unprecedented heights. This means that more young people, children and teenagers, are at risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

When Pantera was only 14 years old, she learned the truth first hand when her health began to deteriorate. She felt thirsty all the time and suffered from headaches and frequent mood swings.

But that wasn't all. Pantera began to feel different. A strange black ring appeared around her neck. Her mom thought she wasn't showering enough, but the truth led to a startling and scary diagnosis.

Many people think that this black ring is just dirt, but it is actually a warning sign of type 2 diabetes.

When the black ring appears, doctors say it is a sign that the insulin in the body is not working properly. And it can be a sign of type 2 diabetes, which affects the way the body digests sugar. Besides on the neck, the black ring is also called canthosis nigricans, and it can be found in the armpit or groin area.

Type 2 diabetes is more common in children and adolescents now than ever before. When it appears at an early age, it is more difficult to treat. Therefore prevention is extremely important. This includes regular exercise and a healthy diet.

Pantera's mother hopes her daughter's story will inspire others to change their lifestyle now rather than suffer the consequences of type 2 diabetes later.

"I want other parents to know that this can happen to their child, but if you don't have diabetes and no one in your family does, it can happen", Pantera's mother told ABC News.

"The food you feed your children - chicken bites, chips, and snacks - are wrong. You really need to watch what you eat because it really has a long-term effect on their health".

Further reading: LittleThings.