Type 2 diabetes is a metabolic disorder resulting from the body's inability to make enough, or to properly use, insulin. It used to be called non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM).

Without enough insulin, the body cannot move blood sugar into the cells. It is a chronic disease that has no known cure. It is the most common type of diabetes, accounting for 90-95 percent of diabetes cases.

What are the Risk Factors for Type 2 Diabetes?

• age - people over the age of 45 are at higher risk
• family history of diabetes
• being overweight
• not exercising regularly
• being a member of certain racial and ethnic groups, such as African-Americans, Hispanic Americans, and Native Americans
• history of gestational diabetes, or giving birth to a baby that weighed more than 9 pounds
• a low level HDL (high density lipoprotein -- the "good cholesterol")
• a high triglyceride level