What Causes Type 2 Diabetes

"There’s more to why people get type 2 diabetes than you may know. Although lifestyle is a big part, so are family history, age, and race. Learn about what causes type 2 diabetes and how you can help lower your risk.

You’ve probably heard the expression, “you can’t judge a book by its cover.” In the same way we can’t tell what’s inside a book without reading it, we can’t look at a person and know if they’re at risk of type 2 diabetes.

It’s true that being overweight is a risk factor for developing type 2 diabetes, but your family history, age, and race are risk factors too.

Learn about what causes type 2 diabetes, and how you can help lower your risk.

Diabetes Factors

If you have type 2 diabetes, your body doesn’t use insulin well and can’t keep blood sugar at normal levels. We don’t know exactly why this happens, but we do know factors that may increase a person’s risk of developing type 2 diabetes. You may be at risk if you:

• Have prediabetes.
• Are overweight.
• Are 45 years or older.
• Have a parent, brother, or sister with type 2 diabetes.
• Are physically active for less than 150 minutes a week.
• Have ever had gestational diabetes (diabetes during pregnancy) or given birth to a baby who weighed more than 9 pounds.
• Are African American, Hispanic/Latino American, American Indian, or Alaska Native (some Pacific Islanders and Asian Americans are also at higher risk).

The Fat You Can’t See

Although a person looks thin on the outside, they may have fat on the inside that nobody can see that puts them at risk of type 2 diabetes. How is this possible?

There are two kinds of fat:

• Fat that’s stored just under the skin. This is fat that we may be able to feel on the outside, like on our arms and legs.
• Fat that’s stored in our stomach and surrounds important internal organs. We can’t see this hidden, or “visceral” fat from the outside.

Research shows that visceral fat is an important factor in how our hormones work. It’s also linked to insulin resistance, when cells in your muscles, fat, and liver don’t respond well to insulin.

Having too much visceral fat may increase the risk of heart disease, diabetes, and stroke..."
Type 2 Diabetes