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Predisposing Factors for Diabetes

Type 2 diabetes causes problems in the way the body processes glucose. Diabetics' bodies either do not properly utilize insulin or do not produce enough to support the metabolism of sugar. If not treated properly, type 2 diabetes can damage the eyes, nerves, heart and kidneys, according to the University of California San Diego Health Library. There are, however, ways to help lower the risk for this disease as it has many predisposing factors.

  1. Weight

    • Carrying around too much weight is a major predisposing factor for type 2 diabetes. When the body has too much fat, the cells increasingly become resistant to insulin.

    Low Activity Level

    • Being inactive will predispose the body to developing type 2 diabetes. That's partly because a lower activity level contributes to weight gain. Also, activity helps the cells to be sensitive to insulin. This allows them to metabolize sugar and fuel the body, according to the Mayo Clinic.

    Family History

    • A family history of type 2 diabetes is a major predisposing factor. A person is more likely to get the disease if one or both of his parents had it. Also, there is a higher rate of type 2 diabetes among blacks, Hispanics, American Indians and Asian Americans. Researchers have not determined why.

    Age

    • As a person ages, her risk of type 2 diabetes increases. This may be because many people become less active and gain weight as they age. Recently, however, there has been a large increase in the number of diagnosis in children and adolescents in addition.

    Prediabetes

    • When a person's blood sugar level is high, this indicates that his cells are not metabolizing sugar as well as they should. When a person's blood sugar levels are elevated but not high enough to qualify for a diagnosis of type 2 diabetes, that person will be diagnosed with prediabetes. Often a person with prediabetes will later develop diabetes.

    Gestational Diabetes

    • Gestational diabetes is a condition of elevated blood sugar experienced during pregnancy. This condition increases the risk of developing type 2 diabetes later in life. Giving birth to a baby that weighs more than nine pounds at birth also increases the risk for diabetes, according to the Mayo Clinic.

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