Type 2 diabetes is the most common type of diabetes — about 9 out of 10 people with diabetes have type 2 diabetes. You can get type 2 diabetes at any age, even during childhood.

Type 2 diabetes was previously called non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus or adult-onset diabetes. Type 2 diabetes may account for about 90-95% of all diagnosed cases of diabetes. 

In type 2 diabetes, your body makes insulin, but the insulin can’t do its job, so glucose is not getting into the cells.

If you have type 2 diabetes, your body generally produces less and less insulin over time. This means that you may need to start using insulin or taking other medications in order to keep your diabetes in good control.

Eating Healthy

Diabetes self-management education and support

We provide evidence-based diabetes management services to help you build healthy new habits that last a lifetime.

Causes and Risk Factors

Insulin is a hormone made by your pancreas. It acts like a key to let blood sugar into cells in your body for use as energy. If you have type 2 diabetes, cells don’t respond normally to insulin. This is called insulin resistance.

Your pancreas makes more insulin to try to get cells to respond. Over time your pancreas can’t keep up, and your blood sugar rises, setting the stage for prediabetes and type 2 diabetes.

You’re at risk for type 2 diabetes if you:

  • Have prediabetes
  • Are overweight
  • Age 45 years or older
  • Have a parent, brother, or sister with type 2 diabetes
  • Are physically active less than 3 times a week
Type 2: Body can't use insulin properly Can develop at any age. Most cases can be prevented. In adults, type 2 diabetes accounts for approximately 90-95% of all diagnosed cases of diabetes. Nearly 5,300 youth diagnosed each year in 2017 and 2018. Risk factors for type 2 diabetes: Being overweight, Having a family history, Being physically inactive, Being 45 or older. 1.2 Million people 18 years or older diagnosed with diabetes in 2021.
  • Have ever had gestational diabetes or given birth to a baby who weighed 9 pounds or more
  • Are an African American, Hispanic or Latino, American Indian, or Alaska Native person
  • Have non-alcoholic fatty liver disease

You can prevent or delay type 2 diabetes with proven lifestyle changes. These include losing weight if you have overweight, creating healthy eating patterns, and getting regular physical activity.

Symptoms

If you have any of the following diabetes symptoms, see your health care provider about getting your blood sugar tested:

  • Urinate (pee) a lot, often at night
  • Are very thirsty
  • Lose weight without trying
  • Are very hungry
  • Have blurry vision
  • Have numb or tingling hands or feet
  • Feel very tired
  • Have very dry skin
  • Have sores that heal slowly
  • Have more infections than usual
Managing Type 2 Diabetes

Treatment includes making healthy food choices, getting regular physical activity, and controlling blood pressure and cholesterol levels.

Eat Right

  • Eat whole grains like whole wheat pastas and bread, brown rice, oats and barley
  • Eat less saturated fats and more good fats from nuts and olive oil
  • Reduce your sugar intake
  • Drink more water and unsweetened drinks

Be Active

  • 30 minutes at one time five times a week.
  • Start off with as many minutes as you are able to do and gradually add time to your workouts

Understanding Insulin Injection

Key Medical Screenings for Diabetes: A1C, Statins, and More

Resources

Sugary Drink Toolkit

How to Manage Blood Sugar

Information for Health Care Providers

Diabetes Self-Management Education and Support (DSMES) toolkit is designed to help health care providers promote and refer persons with diabetes to DSMES as an important part of the treatment plan.

ADA Standards of Care provides the evidence-based consensus on the standards of diabetes care for all kinds of diabetes across the lifespan.