Are You More at Risk of Developing Type 2 Diabetes?
Assessing your risk factor
Type 2 diabetes has a stronger link to being inherited than Juvenile Diabetes does. For instance, if one of your parents has Type 2 diabetes, there is an approximate 35-40% chance you will later develop Type 2 diabetes. If both of your parents have Type 2 diabetes, the risk increases to around 50% of you being diagnosed at some point.
One hypothesis is that a baby who is under nourished whilst in the womb is somehow trained for the rest of their lives to survive on lower amounts of food. So when food is plentiful, these people go on to be obese and are more likely to develop Type 2 diabetes.
A second theory concerns a genetic difference in some people, leading them to be more at risk to Type 2 diabetes. So far not enough evidence has been collected to prove a link which would in theory, allow a test to be developed.
Of course, there is nothing that can be done about the above risks. Risks that are significant and can be minimised are obesity and fitness. Sensible weight loss and fitness are discussed later on. If you have any of the inherited risks, it is very important that you maintain the correct weight for your height, this is called Body Mass Index (BMI) and it is discussed in the Dieting section later on.
We have discussed the proven risks, now what of commonly perceived risks that are in fact not proven.
- Eating lots of sugary foods or drinks. This in its self is not proved to cause diabetes, but of course eating excessive amounts of sugar filled foods will most likely lead to obesity which IS a factor. A healthy diet is always the best course, but eating a few chocolate bars will not give you Adult Onset diabetes.
- Your sex is not a risk factor, men and women get Adult Onset diabetes in statistically equal numbers.
- Stress and emotional pain. Whilst it is virtually impossible to scientifically prove a link between stress and Type 2 diabetes, its is widely accepted that high stress levels generally decrease your immune system and put your body under increased strain. If linked to prolonged sleep deprivation, the body and mind can suffer. This link is not proven scientifically, but stress is bad and should always be avoided. Check out our stress busting, relaxing tips.
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More Resources
[ www.jdrf.org ]
[ www.diabetes.ca/type2 ]
[ www.mayoclinic.com ]
[ www.diabetes.org/type2
]
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[ Symptoms ] [ Risks ] [ Medication ] [ Pre-diabetes ]
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