Risk Factors for Type 2 Diabetes
Just like most diseases there are many risk factors for type 2 diabetes. The risk factors are obesity, sedentary lifestyle, unhealthy eating habits, a family history of diabetes, increased age, having high blood pressure or high cholesterol, and a history of having had gestational diabetes with a pregnancy.
Obesity is the number one risk factor for diabetes. As many as 60 million adults are obese, that equates to a lot of individuals who may be at risk for diabetes. The reason that obesity is a risk factor for diabetes is that fat interferes with the body’s ability to use insulin that the body manufactures.
Sedentary lifestyle is another risk factor for diabetes. Did you know that obesity and inactivity go hand in hand when it comes to being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes? Our muscle cells have more insulin receptors than fat cells do, so a person who has abundantly more fat cells than muscle cells decreases insulin reception. Activity also lowers blood sugar levels because insulin is more effective when we are active.
When we have unhealthy eating habits such as eating too many sugary foods and too many fats, and not enough of foods that contain fiber, we can become overweight, which is the number one factor for diabetes. When we make changes to eat right we can reverse or prevent type 2 diabetes.
If you have family members who have been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes you have an increased risk for developing the disease yourself. Individuals who are African American, Hispanic Americans and Native Americans also have an increased risk for diabetes. Family history of diabetes does not guarantee that you too will develop the disease, because lifestyle plays an important role in who develops diabetes.
As we age, our risk increases for type 2 diabetes because our pancreas ages as we age, and may not pump insulin as efficiently as it did when we were younger. Our body’s cells become more resistant to insulin as we age too.
If we have either high blood pressure or high cholesterol we are also at risk for type 2 diabetes. These two conditions can damage heart blood vessels and are two causes for metabolic syndrome, which increases the risk of diseases including diabetes.
If you had gestational diabetes while pregnant you are at an increased risk for developing type 2 diabetes. The risk develops as a result from hormones from the placenta that make the mom-to-be insulin resistant. The woman is at an increased risk for developing type 2 diabetes and her baby has a slight risk of developing type 2 diabetes later in life.
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