Risk Factors for Type 2 Diabetes

The exact cause of type 2 diabetes is not fully understood, although there are many factors that make developing the condition more likely. The more factors that apply to you, the higher your risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

Being overweight or obese

In most cases, type 2 diabetes is thought to be linked to having excess body fat. If you are overweight or obese, the cells in your body become less responsive to the effects of insulin. This explains why 80% of people who develop type 2 diabetes are overweight or obese, tend not to get much exercise, and have a large waist.

Women are thought to be at a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes if they have a waist size of 31.5 inches (80cm), or over. Men are thought to be at a higher risk if they are Asian and their waist is 35 inches (90cm) or over, or if they are white, or black, with a waist size of 37 inches (94cm) or over.

Ethnic origin

It is not known why people of certain ethnicities are more at risk of developing type 2 diabetes than others. You are at least five times more likely to develop type 2 diabetes if you are African-Caribbean or of south Asian origin and living in the UK, compared with someone who is white.

Age

Your risk of developing type 2 diabetes also increases as you get older, which may be due to the fact that people usually gain weight and exercise less as they get older.

You are considered to be at risk of developing type 2 diabetes if you are over 40 years of age and white or over 25 years of age and black, Asian, or from a minority ethnic group. However, some children as young as seven are now being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.

Genetic factors

There is also a genetic risk factor for type 2 diabetes. You are more likely to develop the condition if you have a close relative such as a parent or sibling (brother or sister) who has type 2 diabetes.

You also have an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes if you have either impaired fasting glycaemia (IFG), or impaired glucose tolerance (IGT). These conditions are sometimes also known as Prediabetes, and mean that your blood glucose level is higher than usual, but not high enough to cause diabetes. IFG and IGT can both progress into type 2 diabetes if you do not take steps to prevent it.

Self-Assessment

Take the Diabetes Risk Self-Assessment to gauge your risk for diabetes.