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What causes diabetes? Scientists aren't sure, but heredity, obesity, lack of exercise and other factors play a part.
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Type 2 diabetes makes it hard for the body to use glucose (sugar). Food is still changed into glucose. The glucose still travels in the bloodstream to the cells. But problems with insulin make it hard for glucose to enter the cells.
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Understanding how food affects blood glucose is the first step in managing diabetes. And following a diabetes meal plan can help keep you on track.
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No one knows exactly what causes type 2 diabetes. But we do know that certain behaviors and conditions, called risk factors, can make people more likely to develop it. Here are some risk factors for type 2 diabetes.
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Although people with pre-diabetes haven't yet developed full-blown diabetes, they're still at risk because studies show that many people with pre-diabetes develop the condition within 10 years.
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Metabolic syndrome is a cluster of risk factors that greatly raises your risk for heart disease and type 2 diabetes.
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In adults, a screening blood sugar test is generally used to determine if your blood sugar is too high. For adults, having an elevated blood sugar usually will not give you symptoms and may indicate a pending or current problem with type 2 diabetes.
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Type 2 diabetes can be especially deadly for women. Of the nearly 16 million Americans with diabetes, more than half are female.
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"If you do have diabetes, educate yourself and start managing your illness," Ms. LaBelle says.
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