Type 2 diabetes is caused by a relative lack of insulin secretion, or insulin resistance, which leads to elevated blood glucose. The cause of relative insulin deficiency, or insulin resistance, may be the result of a combination of genetic and environmental factors.
Studies have shown that parents, children, and siblings of people with type 2 diabetes are more likely to develop the disease, suggesting that type 2 diabetes is associated with genetic factors. In addition to genetic factors, type 2 diabetes is also associated with other environmental factors, such as excessive caloric intake and relatively low physical activity in obese and overweight people, which can lead to insulin resistance, which can lead to diabetes, so the vast majority of people with type 2 diabetes, who are obese at the onset of the disease, are twice as likely to develop the disease as the general population. Usually, as we age, we also exercise less, lose muscle, and gain body fat, which also predisposes us to type 2 diabetes.
In addition, lifestyle and chemical toxins may also exacerbate insulin resistance and increase the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.