Type 2 Diabetes
In type 2 diabetes, your body may still make insulin, but is unable to effectively use the insulin it does make (insulin resistance). Eventually the body doesn't make enough insulin (insulin deficiency). Type 2 used to be called "non-insulin dependent diabetes." People who have it can be treated with proper meal planning, physical activity, and may require medications. Type 2 diabetes is the most common form of diabetes and accounts for 90%-95% of cases. Although it can occur in younger people, people over 45 years of age are at higher risk.
Some people are more prone to diabetes.
- The tendency to develop type 2 diabetes is inherited (present at birth).
- It does not always come from being too heavy.
- It is not caused by eating too much sugar.
Causes of type 2 diabetes
No one knows the exact cause of type 2 diabetes. We do know that it is more likely to occur in people who have certain risk factors, such as older age, obesity, family history of type 2 diabetes, and certain race/ethnicity (African American, Hispanic/Latino American, American Indian, Asian American, or Pacific Islander).1
Reference
1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. National diabetes fact sheet: national estimates and general information on diabetes and prediabetes in the United States, 2011. Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2011. Available at . Accessed October 27, 2011.
