Diabetes is a disease that is on the rise. You hear about it a lot in the news, particularly regarding the increases in cases of Type 2 diabetes among children in the United States and Europe, and you may have a family member or two that have already been diagnosed with Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes. Perhaps you yourself or your own child have been diagnosed. But what are the causes of diabetes?
Well, unfortunately, there is no simple answer to that question, as the exact causes of diabetes are not clearly known. There are, however, theories and ideas about what leads to diabetes, though, and these things that can lead to diabetes are generally considered “risk factors.” For example, diet and obesity are big contributing factors to the development of diabetes. Overweight and obese persons are at risk for developing Type 2 diabetes, which is the kind of diabetes where the body is still producing insulin but unable to respond to it normally. A high fat diet, the presence of high blood pressure, high alcohol intake, leading a sedentary lifestyle without much exercise, gestational diabetes or giving birth to a baby that weighs more than nine pounds, and more are all contributing factors to Type 2 diabetes.
Type 1 diabetes is considered an autoimmune disorder that may run in families, but Type 2 is much more commonly thought of as having a genetic link and tends to run in families. Aging is also a big contributing factor to the development of Type 2 diabetes. As you get older, your risk for developing the disease goes up. Type 1 diabetes may have viral or environmental causes, and is most common in people of non-Hispanic, Northern European descent. Type 1 diabetes is relatively rare in people of Asian descent.