Risk factors

Researchers don't fully understand why some children develop type 2 diabetes and others don't, even if they have similar risk factors. However, it's clear that certain factors increase the risk, including:

• Weight. Being overweight is a strong risk factor for type 2 diabetes in children. The more fatty tissue children have — especially around the abdomen — the more resistant their bodies' cells become to insulin.
• Inactivity. The less active your child is, the greater his or her risk of type 2 diabetes. Physical activity helps your child control his or her weight, uses glucose as energy, and makes your child's cells more responsive to insulin.
• Family history. Children's risk of type 2 diabetes increases if they have a parent or sibling with the disease.
• Race or ethnicity. Although it's unclear why, certain people — including Black, Hispanic, American Indian and Asian American people — are more likely to develop type 2 diabetes.
• Age and sex. Many children develop type 2 diabetes in their early teens. Adolescent girls are more likely to develop type 2 diabetes than are adolescent boys.
• Birth weight and gestational diabetes. Low birth weight and being born to a mother who had gestational diabetes during the pregnancy are both associated with a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
• Pre-term birth. Babies born prematurely — before 39 to 42 weeks' gestation —have a greater risk of type 2 diabetes.