Weight and Inactivity

• People who are overweight and do not exercise have the highest risk of developing Type 2 diabetes. The Mayo Clinic reports that the more fatty tissue a person has, the more likely they are to become a Type 2 diabetic.
  
  

Genetics

• People with a parent or sibling who developed Type 2 diabetes have a greater risk for developing the disease as well.
  
  

Race

• The American Diabetes Association reports that Type 2 diabetes is most prevalent in Native Americans, Hispanics and Latinos, Asians, and African Americans.
  
  

Age

• Type 2 diabetes usually develops in people over the age of 45, but an increase in childhood obesity has led to the disease developing earlier in certain people.
  
  

Pregnancy Complications

• Some women develop a temporary form of diabetes during pregnancy known as gestational diabetes. Later in life, these women have a higher risk for type 2 diabetes, as do women who give birth to babies that weigh more than 9 lbs.