A number of factors contribute to the likelihood of someone developing diabetes.

Type 1 diabetes develops when the beta cells in the pancreas cease functioning. This type of diabetes generally appears very quickly, usually over days or weeks. The cause of type 1 diabetes is not very well defined, but it would appear that genetic and environmental factors could trigger the development of this type of the disease. If there is someone in your family who has diabetes, then your chances of developing the disease are increased. Type 1 diabetes must be treated with insulin injections.

Type 2 diabetes is caused by a defect in the pancreas and a resistance by the body to the action of insulin. People with type 2 diabetes often have high blood sugar levels and high insulin levels initially but, in many cases, the pancreas fails completely with time. The most important factors leading to type 2 diabetes are:

1. Age
   90-95% of people with diabetes have Type 2. This type usually occurs in people over the age of 40 but is now also affecting children and adolescents to a greater extent. The older you are, the greater your risk of diabetes.
2. Obesity
   Over 80 per cent of people with Type 2 diabetes are overweight. The more overweight you are, the greater your risk of developing this disease.
3. A family history of diabetes
   Research has shown that people are more at risk if there is a history of diabetes in close family members. The closer the relative, the greater the risk of developing diabetes. The risk substantially increases the risk of type 2.
4. Physical inactivity
   Research has shown that people who do not lead an active life are more at risk of developing Type 2 diabetes. The less exercise you do, the greater your chances of developing the disease.
5. Impaired glucose tolerance (IGT)
   A healthy person’s blood sugar is usually between 70 and 110 mg/dL (milligrams of glucose in 100 millilitres of blood) or, in millimols, between 3.9 and 6.0 mmol/L. Impaired glucose tolerance is a level of blood glucose which is higher than normal, but not high enough to be in the range where doctors classify this as diabetes.
6. Race/ethnicity
   As far as we know, race and ethnicity are important in deciding the possibility of a person developing diabetes. Little research, however, has been undertaken outside of the United States.
7. Diabetes during pregnancy
   Some women develop a temporary type of diabetes called 'gestational diabetes' when they are pregnant. Gestational diabetes develops in 2-5% of all pregnancies, but usually disappears when the pregnancy is over. However, women who have had gestational diabetes or who have given birth to a large baby (4kg/8lb or greater) are at a greater risk of developing Type 2 diabetes at a later stage in their lives. People with type 2 diabetes are also at risk of developing high blood pressure and high cholesterol, which puts them at increased risk of heart disease. Other possible complications include kidney, eye and nervous system disorders. Part of the routine care of diabetes involves regularly checking for symptoms of these complications.

Can Teenagers Get Type 2 Diabetes?

Type 2 diabetes used to be practically unheard of in people under 30. That explains the other common name for the disease: adult-onset diabetes. Not long ago, almost all teens with diabetes suffered from the Type 1 form of the disease, which means their bodies couldn't produce enough insulin. Type 2 diabetes, in which the pancreas may produce normal insulin levels but cells become resistant to it, typically took decades to develop.

However, Type 2 diabetes isn't just for adults anymore. Teenagers, and even children are now starting to present with Type 2, prompting some commentators to call it a potential epidemic. The type 2 form is not usually as life threatening or dramatic as Type 1 at the time of diagnosis, but it does increase the likelihood that diagnosed teens may develop serious long-term complications such as blindness, kidney disease, and heart disease. If untreated, you may also eventually develop circulatory problems severe enough to require amputation of limbs.

With proper medical treatment and a self-care programme that incorporates exercise, glucose monitoring, and nutrition, however, you may keep your blood sugar under control and avoid some serious complications.

Which Teenagers Are At Risk For Type 2 Diabetes?

The vast majority of all children and teens with Type 2 diabetes are significantly overweight, and many of these are clinically obese. Indeed, researchers suspect that increases in obesity among young people is driving the new epidemic.

There has long been a statistical link between obesity and Type 2 diabetes, but exactly why thousands of overweight people develop Type 2 diabetes has long been a medical mystery. But perhaps no more: on January 18, 2001, an exciting new study published in Nature suggested why millions of overweight people go on to develop the disease. The missing link, researchers found, was a hormone they called resistin, which is produced by fat cells and incites tissues to resist insulin, which our bodies need to turn blood sugar into energy.

Other studies have suggested that the type of obesity - or where you store your fat - may make a difference as well. Those who store it around the middle (the so-called apple shape) are at higher risk of developing diabetes. Some experts believe that high-carbohydrate, low-fibre diets are part of the problem. Finally, because exercise makes your body's muscle cells more sensitive to insulin, a sedentary lifestyle is a risk factor. If your child rarely plays outside or exercises, then, he or she may be at greater risk of the disease.

Other factors can also put children at risk. If close family members have the disease or if a mother develops diabetes during pregnancy, for example, children are significantly more likely to develop the disease.