The most common form of diabetes is type 2 diabetes. 90-95 percent of people diagnosed with diabetes have type 2 diabetes. Type 2 diabetes is most often associated with genetics and lifestyle, and has even been nicknamed a “disease of lifestyles.”
In type 2 diabetes, there is a problem with the action of insulin. The pancreas becomes insulin resistant. This usually occurs with excess weight and physical inactivity. Type 2 diabetes has a higher inheritance risk than type 1 diabetes.
Common factors that are associated with type 2 diabetes include:
- Obesity
- Family history of diabetes
- Previous diagnosis of gestational diabetes
- Physical inactivity
- Race/ethnicity
- Age (>40 years)
Type 2 diabetes is increasingly being diagnosed in children and adolescents, and if current trends continue, one in three children will develop type 2 diabetes in their lifetime. Populations most at risk for developing type 2 diabetes are Native Americans, African Americans, and Latinos.
To learn more about type 2 diabetes, visit the CDC’s website on the subject.