Top 5 Risk Factors for Type 2 Diabetes

There are some things that you cannot change that increase your chances of getting type 2 diabetes:
Risk factors that you cannot control include:²

• Family history. If you have a parent, brother, or sister who has type 2 diabetes, you have a greater chance of developing the disease.
• Age. The risk for getting prediabetes and type 2 diabetes increases with age. And the number of children being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes is increasing. Usually, children who get type 2 diabetes have a family history of the disease, are overweight, and are physically inactive.
• Race and ethnicity. African Americans, Hispanics, Native Americans, Asian Americans, and Pacific Islanders are at higher risk than whites for type 2 diabetes.
• History of gestational diabetes or having a baby weighing more than 9 lb (4 kg). Women who have had gestational diabetes or who have had a large baby are at higher risk for developing type 2 diabetes later in life.
• Low birth weight. People who weighed less than 5.5 lb (2.5 kg) at birth are more likely to develop type 2 diabetes later in life.

Other conditions that put you at risk for type 2 diabetes—and that are also linked to obesity and a lack of physical activity—include:

• Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), a hormone imbalance that interferes with normal ovulation.
• Metabolic syndrome, a group of abnormal physical findings related to the body's metabolism.

If you are concerned about diabetes, you can take a test to determine your risk of getting the disease. If you are at risk, you can discuss with your doctor how to make healthy changes in your life. If you want, your doctor can refer you to health professionals who are trained to help you make your own easy-to-follow plan for eating and exercising. No matter how and when you start, it is important to remember that even small changes can lower your chances of developing diabetes.